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EL    FUREIDlS. 


BY  THE  AUTHOB  OF 


"THE  LAMPLIGHTER"  AND  "MABEL  VAUGHAN." 


BOSTON: 
TICKNOR     AND     FIELDS. 

M  DCCC  LX. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1860,  by 

TICKNOR    AND    FIELDS, 
in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Massachusetts. 


University  Press,  Cambridge  : 
Elcctrotypcd  and  Printed  by  Welch,  Bigelow,  &  Co. 


PS 


PREFACE. 


ADDRESSED  TO  MB.  AND  MRS.  D.  AND  DR.  C.,  BUT  OPEN  TO 
PUBLIC  PERUSAL. 

Do  you  remember,  my  friends,  those  winter  even 
ings  when  I  sat  with  you  in  a  certain  pleasant  li 
brary  in  New  York,  and  listened  with  attentive  ears 
while  you  discoursed  of  past  experiences  in  Eastern 
lands  ?  Do  you  remember  how,  with  maps  spread 
out  upon  the  table,  you  recalled  each  familiar  scene, 
and  introduced  me,  novice  as  I  was,  into  the  porch 
of  that  temple  of  historical  and  sacred  lore  in 
which  you  were  already  devotees  ? 

"  Always  worship  the  rising  sun,"  was' the  worldly- 
wise  maxim  of  an  old  nurse,  who  exercised  a  vast 
influence  upon  my  childhood;  and  recalling  this 
favorite  proverb  of  my  early  oracle,  I  set  myself  dili 
gently  to  the  study  and  comprehension  of  that  mysti 
cal  secret  which  makes  the  Orient  a  charmed  land. 

In  El  Fureidis,  you  behold  the  result.  Stanley 
took  me  by  the  hand,  and  led  me  across  Sinai  into 


iv  PREFACE. 

the  Canaan  of  promise.  Kelly,  with  his  select  com 
pany,  next  became  my  travelling-companion.  Porter 
has  been  throughout  my  friend  and  guide.  Rob 
inson  has  proved  a  safe  mentor  to  my  inexperi 
ence.  I  have  shared  the  adventures  and  perils  of 
Van  de  Velde.  Thompson  has  unfolded  to  me  the 
details  of  Syrian  life,  Churchill  has  lured  me  into 
the  mountains  of  Lebanon,  Chasseaud  has  by  his 
fascinations  compelled  me  to  linger  there.  Burck- 
hardt  has  introduced  me  to  Bedouin  hospitality. 
Burton  has  taken  me  on  the  sacred  pilgrimage, 
Lamartine  has  sung  for  me  his  sweetest  songs. 

Here  a  slice  and  there  a  crumb,  all  these  have 
contributed  to  satisfy  my  cravings  and  supply  my 
need.  I  have  had  chance  fellow-travellers  too,  oc 
casional  helpmates,  way-side  friends.  How  shall  I 
thank  them,  who  are  too  many  even  to  name  ? 

I  can  but  humbly  follow  their  example,  and,  as 
they  have  guided  me  through  scenes  of  actual 
romance,  pleasure,  incident,  and  danger,  invite  those 
who  may  be  so  inclined  to  follow  me  in  my  imagi 
nary  experiences,  trusting  that  there  are  some  in 
whom  I  may  be  so  fortunate  as  to  awaken  an  in 
terest  in  a  land  which  has  aroused  my  own  enthu 
siasm,  and  that,  pursuing  with  what  patience  they 
may  the  route  which  I  have  trod,  they  may  come 
at  last  to  feel,  like  me,  at  home  in  El  Pureidis. 


EL  FUREIDIS. 


CHAPTER    I. 

THE  sun  was  setting  over  that  far-famed  Eastern  land, 
which,  when  the  Most  High  divided  unto  the  nations  their 
inheritance,  He  gave  unto  his  chosen  people,  —  that  land 
which  the  leader  of  Israel's  hosts  saw  from  afar,  though  he 
entered  not  in,  —  that  land  immortalized  as  the  paradise  of 
our  earthly  parents,  the  Canaan  of  a  favored  race,  the  birth 
place  and  the  tomb  of  prophets,  the  scene  of  Jehovah's 
mightiest  works,  the  cherished  spot  whence  the  dayspring 
from  on  high  has  visited  us,  the  blessed  soil  which  the 
feet  of  the  Prince  of  Peace  have  trod. 

Lazily  on  the  bosom  of  that  classic  sea  which  skirts  the 
shore  of  Syria  there  floats  a  light  and  graceful  bark,  whose 
dreamy  motion,  as  it  skims  the  tide,  harmonizes  and  keeps 
pace  with  the  sweet  and  glowing  fancies,  the  unuttered  long 
ings,  the  irrepressible  awe,  which  fill  the  mind  of  one  who, 
bound  on  an  Oriental  pilgrimage,  is  now  nearing  the  land  of 
promise,  of  beauty,  of  ancient  records,  and  of  sacred  lore. 
Englishman  that  he  is  by  birth,  scholar  that  he  has  become 
by  study,  and  philosopher  that  he  fain  would  be,  he  forgets, 
in  the  scene  before  him,  the  race  from  which  he  sprung,  the 
learning  that  has  made  him  wise,  the  logical  reasonings  of  a 
1 


2  EL  FUREIDIS. 

well-schooled  brain,  and,  prostrate  on  the  vessel's  deck,  gives 
himself  up,  with  all  the  rapture  of  a  poet's  enthusiasm,  to  the 
emotion  of  the  hour. 

The  dim  and  wavy  outline  of  a  distant  mountain  chain,  the 
almost  invisible  specks  upon  its  sides,  and  the  crest  of  what 
seemed  at  first  an  airy,  floating  cloud,  are  gradually  assum 
ing  form  and  color  as  the  slow-moving  vessel  draws  nearer 
and  nearer  to  the  shore;  —  and  now  the  cedar-crowned 
heights  of  Lebanon  stand  boldly  out  to  view,  clothed  in  the 
deep  purple  light  of  the  descending  sun,  white  monasteries 
with  lofty  towers  here  and  there  crown  the  beetling  cliffs, 
and  Mount  Carmel  rears  its  cone-like  peak  in  a  majesty 
solemn  and  sublime,  while  the  gilded  waters  of  the  Medi 
terranean  fold  the  whole  in  a  sheet  of  living  flame. 

Now  feasting  his  eager  eye  upon  the  harmonious  picture, 
then  lifting  it  with  equal  wonder  and  delight  to  the  deep- 
blue  canopy  of  sky  above,  and  anon  gazing  into  the  fiery 
depths  below,  through  which  the  bark  is  cutting  its  trackless 
way,  and  all  the  while  breathing  in  an  atmosphere  whose 
purity  and  fragrance  are  nowhere  else  inhaled,  the  Eastern- 
bound  traveller  acknowledges  all  his  longings  satisfied,  all 
his  day-dreams  realized. 

The  little  merchant-vessel,  bound  from  Cyprus  to  Bey- 
rout,  boasts  but  scanty  accommodations,  —  a  circumstance  of 
which  its  solitary  passenger  is  far  from  being  disposed  to 
complain,  since  he  owes  to  it  the  exclusive  occupancy  of 
both  deck  and  cabin.  More  especially,  as  he  nears  the 
shore  of  Palestine,  and  his  soul  drinks  in  the  inspiration  of 
the  scene  and  hour,  does  his  English  reserve  find  subject 
for  congratulation  in  the  absence  of  the  restless  movements, 
the  jargon  of  tongues,  and  the  inquisitive  eyes,  which  in 
recent  journeyings  have  often  broken  in  upon  and  marred 
the  subjects  of  his  reverie. 


EL  FUREIDIS.  3 

The  breeze  is  so  light  and  soft,  the  air  so  balmy  with  a  " 
thousand  sweets,  the  sky  so  serene  and  cloudless,  and  the 
stillness  so  unbroken,  that,  lulled  into  a  species  of  trance, 
midway  between  sleep  and  ecstasy,  he  experiences,  even 
before  setting  his  foot  on  land,  something  of  the  luxury  of 
Oriental  repose. 

But  an  Eastern  twilight  is  short,  and  so  was  the  undis 
turbed  meditation  of  our  traveller.  The  fading  of  the  pur 
ple  light  on  the  Syrian  hills,  and  the  shooting  forth  of  a 
galaxy  of  stars,  each  one  of  which  was  like  a  brilliant  gem 
starting  out  from  its  dark  background,  proved  the  signal 
for  a  tumult  and  confusion  which  formed  as  strong  a  con 
trast  to  the  previous  stillness  as  did  the  darkness  of  night 
to  the  glories  of  the  sunset  hour. 

The  little  schooner  had  come  to  anchor  about  a  mile  from 
shore,  and  was  at  once  surrounded  by  shoals  of  boats, 
manned  by  Arab  boatmen,  whose  shrill  voices  and  eager 
gestures,  as  they  climbed  the  vessel's  side,  seemed  to  the 
startled  Englishman  little  less  than  demoniac.  Thus  sud 
denly  roused  from  Elysian  dreams  to  find  himself  encom 
passed  by  a  swarm  of  savages,  of  whose  importunities  he 
was  the  sole  victim,  it  may  well  be  supposed  that  his  state 
of  mind  suffered  a  no  less  sudden  transition.  He  felt  him 
self  injured,  indignant,  and  resolved  to  resist. 

But  what  availed  his  determined  attitude,  scornful  re 
pulse,  and  English  expostulations,  against  ignorance  of  his 
language  and  superior  physical  force  ?  So  hopeless  indeed 
was  the  contest  with  numbers,  so  evident  the  necessity  of 
availing  himself  of  one  of  the  small  craft  which  lay  along 
side,  that,  summoning  all  his  philosophy,  he  wisely  con 
cluded  to  conform  to  the  customs  of  the  country,  and  per 
mit  himself  to  be  carried  bodily,  first  to  a  boat,  and  then  to 
the  opposite  shore. 


4  EL  FUEEIDIS. 

Here  new  clamors  awaited  him,  —  cries  of  backsheesh, 
offers  of  service,  and  the  usual  invectives  of  the  disap 
pointed  applicants  against  their  more  fortunate,  because 
more  prompt  and  energetic,  rivals.  By  the  time  he  reached 
the  comfortable  Hotel  de  Bellevue,  to  which  his  swarthy 
conductors  guided  him  with  ready  instinct,  his  flattering 
visions  of  the  romance  of  Eastern  life  had  subsided ;  the 
vivid  consciousness  of  his  own  individuality  had  become 
completely  restored,  and  with  it  the  conviction  that  a  good 
dinner,  a  good  bed,  and  all  the  comforts  of  a  sober  English 
home,  were  vastly  preferable  to  the  excited  anticipations 
and  painful  realities  of  a  country  which  presented  such 
abrupt  and  powerful  contrasts. 

As  if  to  test,  however,  the  conclusion  to  which  his  recent 
and  rough  experiences  had  brought  him,  and  prove  the 
truth  that  discontent  is  inherent  in  the  nature  of  man,  he 
now  unexpectedly  found  himself  in  circumstances  calcu 
lated  to  gratify  all  his  national  prejudices,  and  restore  him 
to  the  normal  condition  of  his  being. 

Not  only  was  he  conducted  to  a  room  furnished  in  the 
European  style,  attended  by  a  waiter  in  European  costume, 
and  accosted  in  the  familiar  Saxon  tongue,  but  at  dinner  he 
encountered  a.  party  of  English  travellers,  who  had  just 
returned  from  the  stereotyped  tour  up  the  Nile  and  through 
the  most  frequented  portions  of  the  Holy  Land.  The  party, 
moreover,  included  some  old  friends  of  his,  —  a  gentleman 
who  had  been  his  fellow-student  at  Oxford,  a  lady  who 
had  married  a  connection  of  his  family,  and  an  army  offi 
cer  whom  he  had  met  in  London.  In  a  word,  he  found 
himse^  restored  at  once  to  the  familiar  atmosphere  of 
home.  What  more  could  he  ask  to  fill  up  the  measure  of 
his  satisfaction? 

And  yet,  strange  to  say,  this  unforeseen  encounter  only 


EL  FUREIDIS.  5 

served  to  bring  about  a  fresh  revulsion  in  his  feelings.  His 
countrymen  dwelt  lightly  on  the  pleasures  of  their  late 
excursion,  talked  loudly  of  its  hazards  and  inconveniences, 
boasted  of  their  own  prowess  and  indifference  to  danger, 
abused  the  excellent  Avine  of  the  country,  and  ended  by 
advising  him  to  secure  a  dragoman  at  once,  attach  himself 
to  a  party  similar  to  their  own,  do  up  Egypt  and  Syria  in 
the  shortest  possible  time,  and  join  them  in  Derbyshire 
in  season  for  the  autumn  races. 

The  ladies  talked  learnedly  of  Thebes  and  the  Sphynx, 
Baalbec  and  the  hidden  treasures  of  Nineveh,  interspersing 
their  quotations  from  the  guide-book  with  inquiries  concern 
ing  the  Queen's  visit  to  Scotland  and  anticipations  of  a  gay 
winter  in  Paris. 

Our  fastidious  traveller  felt  an  unspeakable  thrill  of  an 
noyance  and  disgust.  The  conversation  was  natural,  harm 
less,  just  what  might  have  been  expected  from  the  mental 
calibre  of  the  individuals.  Its  effect,  however,  was  to  excite 
at  once  the  qualities  of  his  character  most  antagonistic  to  the 
society  in  which  he  found  himself.  The  imaginative  and 
poetic  enthusiasm  of  his  nature  was  again  aroused.  He 
resolved  not  only  to  see  Eastern  lands,  but  to  imbibe  their 
spirit ;  and  for  this  purpose  he  would  travel  alone,  abjure 
even  the  companionship  of  a  dragoman,  take  the  least  fre 
quented  routes,  and,  above  all  things,  avoid  any  intercourse 
with  his  fellow-countrymen. 

Accident  seemed  to  facilitate  the  execution  of  this  pur 
pose,  affording  him  a  prompt  opportunity  for  carrying  out 
his  rash  and  hastily  formed  project. 

His  English  friends  had  come  from  Damascus  to  Bey- 
rout  under  the  guidance  of  a  professed  dragoman,  who  had 
in  his  turn  availed  himself,  among  the  mountain  passes,  of 
the  assistance  of  a  youthful  Arab,  son  of  a  noted  desert 

ft- 


6  EL  FUREIDIS. 

sheik.  This  youth,  who  spoke  English  with  some  fluency, 
and  possessed  a  perfect  familiarity  with  the  route  between 
the  two  cities,  had  proved  an  efficient  aid  upon  the  journey, 
and  he  now  came,  late  at  night,  to  receive  the  promised 
compensation  for  his  services.  Hearing  that  he  was  about 
to  return  the  next  day  by  a  somewhat  circuitous  route,  our 
traveller  immediately  conceived  the  idea  of  accompanying 
him.  The  reserved  Englishman  forbore  any  expression  of 
this  intention,  being  anxious  to  escape  the  inquiries  and  ex 
postulations  which  would  be  sure  to  follow ;  but,  after  bid 
ding  his  unsuspecting  friends  good-night,  he  sought  the 
youth,  made  the  necessary  contract  for  safe-conduct,  and 
spent  the  remaining  hours  until  sunrise  in  hasty  prepara 
tions  for  the  journey,  which  was  to  commence  at  daybreak. 

A  written  apology  and  farewell  sufficed  to  acquaint  his 
friends  with  his  sudden  departure,  though  it  must  be  ac 
knowledged  that  their  comments  upon  the  singularity  of  the 
proceeding  were  not  unwarrantable. 

Nor  was  it  strange  that  in  solemn  conclave  they  summed 
up  those  events  of  his  past  career  which  had  come  under 
their  knowledge,  and  passed  the  joint  resolution  that  Mere 
dith  had  always  been  an  eccentric  fellow,  for  whose  whims 
there  was  no  accounting. 


EL  FUBEIDIS. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE  next  phase  of  Eastern  life  in  which  we  behold  our 
traveller  is  one  of  excitement,  suffering,  and  danger.  It 
is  the  evening  of  the  second  day  since  he  left  Beyrout, 
attended  only  by  the  youthful  Abdoul.  Nightfall  has 
overtaken  them  among  the  mountains,  and  the  distant 
thunder  betokens  an  approaching  tempest.  Worn  with 
fatigue,  exhausted  and  feverish  from  exposure  to  the 
Syrian  sun,  and  riding  a  horse  scarcely  less  jaded  than 
himself,  our  hero,  despite  his  love  of  adventure,  contem 
plates  with  no  little  dread  the  prospect  of  passing  the 
night,  shelterless,  and  exposed  to  the  fury  of  the  elements. 
Nor  is  this  the  worst  he  has  to  fear.  Distrust  of  his  guide 
is  superadded  to  the  hardships  of  the  journey,  and  the 
senses  which  would  otherwise  be  benumbed  with  weariness 
are  now  strained  to  their  utmost  in  apprehension  of  treach 
ery.  Not  that  Meredith  is  by  nature  cowardly  or  sus 
picious.  On  the  contrary,  he  is  a  model  of  manly  vigor 
and  accomplishments,  while  the  generosity  of  his  own 
disposition  is  such  as  to  encourage  confidence  in  others. 
But  it  is  no  ordinary  situation  in  which  he  finds  himself, 
and  various  incidents  have  occurred  on  the  route  calculated 
to  excite  him  to  wariness  and  prudence. 

Both  pride  and  policy,  however,  forbid  his  betraying 
to  his  Bedouin  attendant  any  symptom  of  uneasiness,  nor, 
save  the  simple  precaution  of  keeping  constantly  in  the 


g  EL  FUREIDIS. 

rear,  does  he  deem  it  advisable  to  adopt  any  defensive 
measures.  Even  this  prudential  order  of  precedence  may 
be  deemed  inevitable,  since,  but  for  the  encouragement 
afforded  by  Abdoul's  example,  the  European  traveller, 
skilful  rider  as  he  is,  would  hesitate  to  spur  his  horse 
over  the  wide  chasms,  narrow  passes,  and  precipitous 
descents,  which  everywhere  mark  and  interrupt  their 
passage.  The  night  is  dark,  the  journey  hazardous,  and 
both  the  gloom  and  the  perils  of  the  way  are  every  moment 
becoming  more  appalling.  Now  and  then  pale  streaks  of 
lightning  illumine  the  wild  scene  with  their  ghastly  glare, 
bringing  into  bold  relief  the  bare  and  frowning  peaks 
above,  the  yawning  precipices  below,  and  all  the  dangers  of 
the  rough  and  flint-strown  path,  which  at  one  moment 
skirts  the  edge  of  an  overhanging  rock,  then  winds  along 
the  dry  bed  of  a  mountain  torrent.  The  sudden  darkness 
which  succeeds,  the  echoing  of  the  thunder  as  it  resounds 
from  crag  to  crag,  and  now  and  then  the  roar  of  a  neighbor 
ing  cataract,  all  combine  to  heighten  the  awful  sternness 
and  grandeur  of  the  place  and  hour. 

Trusting  wholly  to  the  sagacity  and  sure-footedness  of 
his  horse,  which  he  no  longer  attempts  to  guide,  Meredith 
hails  eagerly  the  lightning  flash  which  enables  him  to 
measure  the  difficulties  of  the  way  and  scan  the  face 
of  the  youthful  Ishmaelite,  who  successfully  veils  every 
emotion,  whether  of  weariness,  doubt,  or  treachery,  beneath 
features  of  motionless  inflexibility.  At  length,  as  Meredith 
finds  himself  upon  a  platform  of  some  little  breadth,  while 
the  steed  of  Abdoul  is  already  plunging  down  the  fearful 
declivity  which  succeeds,  the  Englishman  pauses,  and  for 
the  first  time  for  some  hours  addresses  the  young  Arab. 

"Abdoul!"  he  exclaimed. 

At  the  sound  of  the   clear  voice   ringing   through   the 


EL  FUREIDIS.  9 

darkness,  Abdoul  drew  his  horse  back  almost  upon  its 
haunches,  and,  with  a  surprising  feat  on  the  part  of  both 
steed  and  rider,  the  animal  was  forced  to  remount  the 
ascent  backwards  until  it  gained  the  level  occupied  by 
Meredith. 

"  Abdoul,  the  journey  is  long,  the  road  fearful,  and  there 
is  a  storm  coming  on." 

"  Allah !  you  say  truly,"  replied  Abdoul  with  an  unmoved 
air. 

"  Where  are  we  to  find  shelter  for  the  night  ?  "  continued 
Meredith. 

"  Behind  yonder  mountain,"  —  and  Abdoul  pointed  to  a 
precipitous  mass  of  rock,  which,  as  the  lightning  played 
over  it,  seemed  within  a  stone's  throw. 

"  And  you  will  guide  me  there  in  safety  ?  " 

"  Have  I  not  promised  ?  and  is  not  the  written  contract 
sealed  with  the  seal  of  Abdoul  ? "  answered  the  youth, 
proudly. 

"  But  do  you  know  the  way  ?  "  questioned  Meredith,  who 
believed  himself  misled,  not  being  able  to  credit  the  possi 
bility  that  he  was  pursuing  a  travelled  and  recognizable 
road. 

"  Does  the  camel  of  the  desert  know  the  water-spring  ? 
and  can  the  eagle  find  its  nest  ?  "  said  the  boy,  with  gravity. 

"  But  the  horses  ?  they  are  worn  out,  and  cannot  carry  us 
much  farther." 

"Trust  them,"  replied  Abdoul;  "they  will  smell  their 
evening  meal  and  the  hand  that  grooms  them." 

There  was  a  pause.  The  Englishman  forbore  further 
questioning,  and  the  Bedouin,  after  waiting  the  word  from 
Meredith,  responded  to  his  command  to  proceed  by  plung 
ing  once  more  down  the  cliff. 

An  hour  of  patient  travelling  succeeded;  the  storm  had 
1* 


10  EL  FUEEIDIS. 

come  on  with  violence,  and  the  fever  which  burned  in  the 
veins  of  Meredith  had  given  place  to  a  fearful  chill  as  the 
cold  rain  drenched  him  to  the  skin.  And  still  the  promised 
destination  seemed  as  distant  as  ever.  It  was  inconceivable 
to  the  Englishman  that  they  should  be  so  long  in  gaining 
the  place  of  refuge,  which,  when  pointed  out  an  hour  before, 
had  been  apparently  close  at  hand.  He  could  not  forget 
the  mysterious  communication  which  Abdoul  had  held  the 
previous  evening  with  some  stragglers  of  a  Bedouin  tribe 
whom  they  had  encountered  on  their  road ;  nor  the  fierce 
gesticulations  with  which  the  boy  had  given  emphasis  to 
his  discourse.  While  engaged  in  these  and  similar  reflec 
tions,  a  sound  of  rushing  water  fell  upon  his  ear,  and  he  soon 
became  conscious  that  the  path  was  leading  him  to  the 
verge  of  a  narrow  causeway,  beneath  which,  at  a  distance 
of  more  than  a  hundred  feet,  there  foamed  and  dashed  an 
impetuous  mountain  stream.  This  causeway  was  a  natural 
bridge  of  solid  rock,  suspended  over  a  terrific  chasm,  and  un 
protected  by  the  slightest  barrier.  Thick  darkness  hid  the 
scene  from  view ;  but  the  roaring  of  the  flood  beneath,  and 
the  hesitating  step  of  his  horse,  afforded  Meredith  sufficient 
indication  of  the  crisis  he  had  reached  in  his  already  suffi 
ciently  perilous  expedition.  At  the  same  instant  he  felt  his 
Bedouin  guide  tightly  grasp  his  right  arm,  thus  rendering 
powerless  the  hand  which  held  his  only  weapon  of  defence, 
a  small  pocket-pistol. 

Confident  that  the  moment  had  come  when  resistance 
was  the  truest  wisdom,  he  released  himself  by  a  sudden 
effort  of  strength  from  the  hold  of  his  seeming  antagonist, 
and  with  a  threatening  exclamation  raised  his  pistol.  At 
this  critical  instant  a  broad,  vivid  flash  of  lightning  illu 
mined  earth  and  sky,  revealing  a  picture  as  strange  and 
startling  as  it  was  sudden  and  momentary.  In  the  very 


EL  FUREIDIS.  H 

centre  of  the  narrow  bridge  of  rock,  which  hung,  as  it  were, 
midway  between  earth  and  heaven,  both  horsemen  were 
stationed  abreast,  having  come  to  a  sudden  halt.  Meredith 
sat  firm  and  upright  in  his  saddle,  Abdoul  bent  backwards 
in  the  position  into  which  he  had  been  thrown  by  the  force 
of  Meredith's  sudden  repulse,  and  the  eyes  of  each  gazed 
into  those  of  the  other. 

Nothing  could  be  more  wildly  picturesque  than  the  ta 
bleau  thus  presented,  nothing  more  striking  than  the  con 
trast  afforded  by  the  two  individuals,  each  of  whom  fur 
nished  a  fitting  type  of  his  own  race  and  nation. 

The  resolute  determination  which  marked  both  the  face 
and  figure  of  the  European,  the  calm  caution  and  deep- 
seated  distrust  evinced  both  in  his  countenance  and  air,  were 
met  with  equally  characteristic  indications  on  the  part  of 
the  Arab  youth,  who,  with  his  head  thrown  back,  his  thin 
lips  compressed,  and  his  loose  garments  floating  over  the 
verge  of  the  precipice,  shot  from  his  eyes  such  a  glance 
of  scorn,  that  the  piercing  orbs  might  have  been  deemed  the 
central  fires  from  which  radiated  the  mountain  lightning. 

Not  less  significant  were  the  words  which  succeeded  this 
striking  pantomime. 

"  Traitor ! "  said  the  Englishman,  between  his  teeth, 
"  would  you  hurl  me  over  the  precipice  ? " 

"  Son  of  an  infidel,"  answered  Abdoul,  with  proud  dis 
dain,  "  the  waters  of  yonder  flood  are  deep,  and  the  caves 
of  the  valley  are  mute  as  the  grave ;  but  the  Frank  shall 
tread  the  mountain  pass  unharmed,  for  Abdoul  has  given 
his  word  of  faith,  and  the  son  of  Sheik  Zanadeen  never 
lies." 

Momentary  as  were  the  glances  thus  exchanged,  and 
short  as  was  the  dialogue  that  followed,  the  effect  was  no 
less  instantaneous. 


12 


EL  FUREIDIS. 


To  the  Englishman  the  good  faith  of  the  Arab  was  estab 
lished  beyond  a  question.  The  scorn  with  which  he  met 
the  charge  of  treachery,  the  proud  words  with  which  he  re 
pelled  it,  not  only  carried  with  them  conviction  of  his  fidel 
ity,  but  excited  in  the  mind  of  the  generous  Meredith  an 
involuntary  respect  and  admiration  for  the  true-hearted 
youth. 

The  good  understanding,  however,  was  far  from  mutual. 
The  indifference  with  which  the  young  Bedouin  had  pre 
viously  regarded  Meredith  had  now  given  place  to  a  senti 
ment  of  a  wholly  different  character.  Not  only  had  the 
lips  of  the  Frank  branded  him  with  the  base  charge  of 
traitor,  but  the  lightning  flash  had  revealed  to  him  a  coun 
tenance,  every  line  of  which  was  darkened  with  distrust. 
It  was  for  a  moment  only,  but  Abdoul  never  forgot  it. 

Maintaining,  however,  that  self-control  which  marks  the 
Arab  even  under  circumstances  of  excitement,  he  quietly 
resumed  his  duties  as  escort  and  guide,  and  the  next  mo 
ment  sufficed  to  explain  the  movement  which  had  alarmed 
Meredith,  and  given  rise  to  the  misunderstanding.  The 
stone  causeway  upon  which  they  had  halted,  although  ex 
tremely  narrow  at  the  entrance,  widened,  as  we  have  seen, 
towards  the  centre,  sufficiently  to  admit  of  two  horsemen 
abreast.  Abdoul  had  availed  himself  of  this  circumstance 
to  fall  back  to  a  position  parallel  with  that  of  Meredith,  in 
order,  by  aid  of  voice  and  arm,  to  assist  him  and  encourage 
his  steed  in  surmounting  a  difficult  ascent  which  presented 
itself  at  the  farther  extremity  of  the  bridge.  It  was  merely 
to  assure  himself  of  the  desired  proximity  that  the  youth 
had  in  the  darkness  grasped  the  arm  of  Meredith  ;  and  this 
fact  became  evident,  when,  as  they  actually  attempted  to 
climb  the  smooth,  slippery  rock,  on  which  the  horses  could 
with  difficulty  obtain  a  foothold,  the  jaded  animal  which 


EL  FUREIDIS.  13 

Meredith  rode  stumbled,  and  would  have  fallen  but  for  the 
assistance  promptly  rendered  by  the  skilful  Bedouin. 

This  difficulty  surmounted,  the  path  became  gradually 
more  smooth  and  practicable,  the  rain  ceased,  and  the  pros 
pects  of  the  travellers  appeared  more  encouraging,  though 
as  yet  no  place  of  rest  and  refreshment  was  visible. 

Half  ashamed  of  the  doubts  and  surmises  which,  although 
warranted  by  the  occasion,  now  seemed  to  Meredith  the 
effects  of  a  heated  and  distempered  brain,  he  strove  to 
atone  for  them  by  manifesting  towards  his  guide  the  re 
newed  confidence  with  which  the  demeanor  of  the  latter 
had  inspired  him,  and  with  this  view  endeavored  to  engage 
the  lad  in  conversation.  But  Abdoul  could  not  be  roused 
from  his  taciturnity,  and  the  responses  called  forth  by  the 
questioning  of  Meredith,  although  civil,  were  invariably 
brief. 

They  were  now  descending  the  mountain  whose  sum 
mit  they  had  crossed  earlier  in  the  evening,  and  the 
moon,  having  risen  from  behind  a  bank  of  clouds,  afforded 
an  uncertain  light  which  partially  illumined  the  prospect. 
The  craggy  heights  and  bluffs  which  stretched  their  huge 
and  shapeless  masses  in  every  direction  were  becoming 
more  thickly  wooded  and  verdant  with  every  step  of  the 
travellers'  progress,  but  desolate  grandeur  was  still  the 
predominant  feature  of  the  landscape.  The  path  the  riders 
were  following  led  around  the  slope  of  a  tall,  projecting 
cliff,  whose  dark,  frowning  side  shut  in  and  barred  the  pros 
pect,  affording  only  the  view  of  its  own  pine-clad  acclivities 
above  and  the  deep  chasm  at  its  base. 

Just  as  Meredith  drew  near  the  point  where,  by  a  sudden 
turning  in  the  road,  he  might  command  a  view  of  the 
opposite  valley,  a  sound  fell  upon  his  ear  as  startling  as  a 
trumpet  and  as  welcome  as  the  voice  of  a  friend.  It  was 


j4  EL  FUKEIDIS. 

the  clear,  ringing  note  of  a  deep-toned  bell,  which,  as  it 
reverberated  from  cliff  to  cliff,  reassured  his  heart  with  its 
familiar  welcome  to  the  abodes  of  men.  Its  solemn  peals 
were  still  vibrating  among  the  hills,  when  other  musical 
tones  burst  forth  from  a  nearer  quarter,  mingling  with  the 
bass  notes  which  rung  out  from  the  opposite  cliff,  —  a 
plaintive  minor  strain,  forming  a  perfect  concord  with  the 
deeper  and  sterner  harmony. 

Astonishment  gave  place  to  awe,  as  Meredith  listened 
until  the  sounds  died  away  upon  the  air,  and  awe  again 
yielded  to  an  ecstasy  of  surprise,  as,  turning  the  angle  of 
the  mountain  precipice,  he  beheld  at  a  glance  what  seemed 
to  his  enraptured  vision  a  more  than  earthly  paradise. 

Reposing  in  the  heart  of  the  mountain,  nestling  in  the 
giant  arms  of  Lebanon,  a  lovely  and  picturesque  village  lay 
before  him,  its  white,  flat-roofed  cottages  gleaming  in  the 
unclouded  splendor  of  the  now  brilliant  moonlight. 

"  Behold  ! "  said  Abdoul,  checking  his  horse,  and  waving 
his  hand  in  the  direction  of  the  highland  glen,  as  if,  in 
presenting  it  to  Meredith,  he  sealed  the  fulfilment  of  his 
sacred  contract,  —  "  behold  El  Fureidis  (the  Paradise),  the 
happy  valley,  —  watered  by  the  springs  of  Baruk,  —  the 
home  of  the  mountain-rose,  —  the  garden  of  Lebanon  ! " 

"  A  garden  indeed ! "  thought  Meredith,  as  the  delicious 
perfume  of  herbs  and  flowers  was  borne  to  him  on  the 
summer  breeze.  "  Fit  place  in  which  to  spend  a  lifetime ! " 
he  mentally  added,  as  the  sweet  repose,  the  calm  serenity, 
of  the  scene  stole  in  upon  his  weary  senses. 


EL  FUREIDIS.  15 


CHAPTER    III. 

AMID  the  novelty  and  excitement  of  his  journey,  and 
the  various  creeds  and  nations  of  which  it  had  presented 
specimens,  Meredith  had  well-nigh  forgotten  that  it  was 
the  evening  of  the  Christian  Sabbath. 

This  recollection  was  brought  to  his  mind  by  the  familiar 
sound  of  bells;  but  his  consciousness  of  the  fact  became 
more  vivid,  as,  descending  the  mountain  slope,  and  drawing 
near  the  little  highland  village,  he  was  struck  with  the 
deep  and  solemn  quiet  which  pervaded  the  place. 

Even  the  flat  roofs  of  the  dwellings,  where  Eastern 
households  invariably  congregate  at  night,  were  all  deserted. 
There  was  no  sound  to  be  heard  in  court-yard  or  garden, 
save  here  and  there  the  musical  plashing  of  a  fountain, 
the  distinctly  heard  play  of  whose  waters  rendered  the 
surrounding  stillness  more  impressive. 

"They  are  in  yonder  church  at  the  evening  worship," 
said  Abdoul,  replying  to  the  silent  interrogation  expressed 
in  Meredith's  countenance ;  and,  without  waiting  the  word 
of  command,  he  led  the  way  to  the  village  sanctuary. 

It  was  a  building  of  simple,  but  graceful  architecture, 
perched  upon  a  high  projecting  platform,  and  its  stone 
roof  and  tower  of  pale  yellow  limestone  gleamed  brightly 
in  the  moonlight,  shedding  a  glow  over  the  cluster  of 
mountain  homes  of  which  it  might  be  termed  the  crown. 

Both   travellers  alighted   at  its  threshold,   and  Abdoul, 


16  EL  FUREIDIS. 

followed  by  Meredith,  entered  noiselessly  at  the  door,  which 
stood  invitingly  open. 

Marvellous  and  touching  was  the  scene  which  here  pre 
sented  itself.  An  unwonted  awe  crept  over  the  heart  of 
Meredith  as  he  gazed  and  listened,  and  Abdoul  involun 
tarily  assumed  an  air  of  respectful  attention. 

The  chief  feature  in  this  strange  congregation  was  the 
figure  of  an  old  .man,  whose  hoary  locks  fell  to  his  shoulders, 
and  whose  long,  black  garments  swept  the  floor  of  the  little 
platform  on  which  he  knelt  and  prayed.  Around  him 
were  grouped  a  crowd  of  worshippers,  whose  motley  attire, 
no  less  than  their  numerous  shades  of  complexion  and  varied 
cast  of  features,  proclaimed  them  the  children  of  many 
a  different  lineage  and  nation. 

Side  by  side  on  the  marble  pavement  the  Greek  and 
Armenian,  the  Turk  and  the  native  Syrian,  offered  up  a 
like  petition  to  the  common  Father  of  them  all ;  each  head 
bowed  and  each  knee  bent  in  the  same  reverent  posture, 
while  they  listened  to  the  words  of  one  who,  in  the  sim 
plicity  of  the  Christian  faith,  preached  to  them  the  truth 
as  it  is  in  Jesus. 

Like  the  Apostles  of  old,  the  aged  man  seemed  to  pos 
sess  the  gift  of  tongues,  for  his  simple  offering  of  prayer 
and  praise  was  first  spoken  in  English,  and  then  repeated 
in  both  Turkish  and  Arabic,  that  all  might  intelligently 
join  in  the  earnest  and  devout  petition.  Not  an  eye  was 
lifted,  not  a  head  raised,  until  the  conclusion  of  the  short 
but  solemn  appeal  to  the  throne  of  grace,  and  then  every 
voice  united  in  the  fervent  "  Amen ! "  after  which  the 
whole  multitude  rose  and  awaited  the  continuation  of  the 
service. 

As  the  noise  which  accompanied  this  simultaneous  move 
ment  died  away,  a  few  soft  notes  of  sweet  and  sacred  music 


EL  FUREIDIS.  17 

stole  upon  the  ear,  and  the  strain  gradually  swelled  in 
sound  and  volume  until  at  length  the  air  rang  with  the 
rich  and  vibrating  notes  of  an  organ  played  by  skilful 
fingers.  Observing  the  direction  of  Abdoul's  eager  gaze, 
and  the  straining  of  his  figure  to  its  utmost  height,  Meredith 
availed  himself  of  his  own  superior  stature  to  peer  above 
the  heads  of  the  assembly  in  the  quarter  whence  the 
music  proceeded ;  and,  although  the  light  which  the  church 
afforded  was  dim  and  indistinct,  his  eye  at  once  detected 
the  rapt  and  youthful  organist.  She  was  a  young  girl 
of  not  more  than  seventeen  years,  and  of  a  grace  and 
beauty  which,  combined  with  her  dress,  her  attitude,  and, 
above  all,  the  nature  of  her  occupation,  imparted  to  her 
an  air  of  almost  seraphic  loveliness. 

She  wore  a  tight-fitting  Grecian  bodice  of  white  Damas 
cus  silk,  interwoven  with  silver,  a  full  flowing  skirt  of  snowy 
whiteness,  and  a  long  veil  of  the  same  material  thrown  over 
her  black  hair,  after  the  fashion  of  the  Syrian  maidens. 

Lost  in  self-forgetfulness,  with  her  head  slightly  thrown 
back  and  her  dark  eyes  raised,  she  seemed  to  be  invoking 
the  inspiration  to  which  her  fingers  gave  utterance  as  they 
moved  slowly  over  the  keys  of  the  instrument.  At  length, 
her  prelude  being  finished,  she  paused,  cast  her  eye  upon  a 
group  of  youthful  choristers  who  stood  near,  and,  gathering 
voice  for  the  effort,  struck  the  first  note  of  a  solemn  litany, 
in  which  they  all  joined,  keeping  time  to  the  voice  of  their 
leader  and  to  the  accompaniment  of  the  organ. 

Sweetly  and  religiously  did  the  words  of  the  anthem  flow 
from  their  tuneful  lips,  and  the  multitude,  in  ruder  but  no 
less  earnest  accents,  took  up  the  chorus. 

"  Thou,  -who  dost  dwell  alone, 
Thou,  who  dost  know  thine  own, 
Thou,  to  whom  all  are  known 


lg  EL  FUREIDIS. 

From  the  cradle  to  the  grave, 

Save,  O  save! 

From  the  world's  temptations, 
From  tribulations, 
From  the  fierce  anguish 
Wherein  we  languish,  — 
From  the  torpor  deep, 
Wherein  we  lie  asleep, 
Heavy  as  death, 
Cold  as  the  grave, 

Save,  O  save  ! " 

As  the  last  notes  of  the  hymn  died  away,  the  young  organ 
ist  rose,  and  with  folded  hands  and  downcast  eyes  awaited 
the  moment  when  the  venerable  servant  of  God  should  pro 
nounce  a  blessing  upon  the  assembly. 

A  solemn  silence  pervaded  the  sanctuary  while  the  good 
man  commended  each  and  all  to  the  mercy  and  protection 
of  their  Maker. 

Meredith's  poetic  and  imaginative  mind,  however,  realized 
the  beauty  more  fully  than  the  sacredness  of  the  occasion. 
His  scholarly  and  artistic  nature,  more  attuned  to  classical 
than  to  religious  emotion,  failed  to  recognize  in  the  scene  the 
felt  presence  of  Him  who  "  hath  his  foundation  in  the  holy 
mountains." 

He  saw  only  a  temple  reared  with  hands,  and  a  venerable 
priest  uttering  oracular  words  of  wisdom,  while,  if  his  heart 
bowed  down  in  homage,  it  was  to  the  matchless  loveli 
ness  of  one  whom  he  was  ready  to  liken  to  the  sacred 
priestess  dwelling  within  the  veil.  As  the  congregation  filed 
through  the  narrow  portal  at  which  Meredith  and  Abdoul 
had  stationed  themselves,  the  former  had  ample  opportunity 
to  scrutinize  the  incongruous  assemblage. 

The  athletic  Maronite,  richly  and  gayly  attired,  with 
broad,  flat  turban  and  scarlet  vest,  strode  away  with  a 


EL  FUREIDIS.  19 

confident  bearing,  while  his  fair  and  comely  wife  bent  her 
head  as  she  emerged  from  the  door-way  whose  height 
scarcely  afforded  space  for  her  tall  tantour  ;  *  the  self- 
absorbed  and  dignified  Turk  passed  on  without  looking  to 
right  or  left ;  and  here  and  there  a  stern  Druse,  with  his 
hand  on  his  heavy  scimitar,  folded  his  mantle  over  his 
bronzed  visage  and  came  stealthily  out  amidst  the  crowd. 

Meredith  lingered  to  the  last,  hoping  to  catch  sight  of 
the  dark-haired  maiden,  and  Abdoul,  whatever  might  be  his 
motive,  stepped  within  the  shadow  of  a  projecting  angle  of 
the  tower,  and  braced  his  slight  figure  against  the  wall. 
The  company  of  worshippers  had  scattered  in  different 
directions,  preserving  all  the  while  a  becoming  degree  of 
gravity  and  decorum,  and  Meredith  began  to  suspect  that 
the  object  of  his  thoughts  had  left  the  building  by  some 
private  door-way,  when  the  sound  of  a  sweet  girlish  voice 
fell  upon  his  ear  in  accents  of  the  purest  Greek  tongue, 
and  the  next  moment  the  beautiful  organist  made  her  ap 
pearance,  leaning  on  the  arm  of  the  gray-haired  patri 
arch  of  the  valley,  and  followed  by  a  young  attendant  in 
Turkish  costume,  who  carried  in  her  hand  a  curious  little 
paper  lantern.  The  eyes  of  the  maiden  were  fixed  in  affec 
tionate  reverence  on  the  face  of  her  aged  companion,  and 
she  passed  Meredith  without  observing  him,  though  the 
shadow  of  his  figure  lay  directly  across  her  path.  As  she 
descended  the  steps,  however,  the  breeze  swayed  the  deli 
cate  lantern  of  her  attendant,  and  its  light  fell  full  on  the 
face  of  Abdoul,  who,  as  if  anxious  for  concealment,  had 
crouched  against  the  wall. 

*  The  tantour  is  a  horn  of  silver,  or  some  inferior  metal,  which  the 
married  women  of  the  Lebanon,  both  Maronites  and  Druses,  wear  on  the 
head.  It  is  nearly  a  foot  and  a  half  in  height,  is  sometimes  richly  em 
bossed,  and  over  it  is  thrown  a  long,  Avhite  veil,  thus  imparting  to  the 
wearer  a  singular,  but  not  ungraceful  appearance. 


20  EL  FUREIDIS. 

The  girl  gave  a  quick  start  of  surprise  as  she  recognized 
the  lithe  figure  and  handsome,  swarthy  face  of  the  Arab, 
and,  withdrawing  her  arm  from  that  of  the  pastor,  she  ad 
vanced  a  step  towards  him,  exclaiming,  "  Abdoul ! " 

The  youth,  finding  himself  thus  unexpectedly  discovered, 
straightened  his  figure  to  its  full  height,  and,  pressing  his 
fingers  to  his  forehead,  lips,  and  heart,  after  the  manner  of 
the  graceful  and  dignified  salutation  of  Eastern  lands,  bowed 
low  before  her,  uttering  her  name,  "  Havilah !  " 

The  tone  of  his  voice,  as  he  spoke  that  single  word,  be 
tokened  the  deepest  admiration  and  reverence;  and  as  he 
lifted  his  piercing  eyes  to  her  soft  and  liquid  orbs,  his  face 
became  suffused  with  an  expression  of  dove-like  sweetness, 
which  imparted  to  it  a  strange  and  picturesque  beauty. 

"  You  have  returned  without  loss  of  time,"  said  Havilah, 
smiling  kindly  upon  the  youth. 

"The  Khadhere*  loiters  not  on  the  road  which  brings 
her  master  hither,"  replied  Abdoul. 

"  Abdoul  loves  El  Fureidis,"  said  Havilah.  "  Father  La- 
pierre,"  and  she  took  in  hers  the  hand  of  the  hitherto  unob 
servant  old  man,  who  was  gazing  up  at  the  stars,  "it  is 
Abdoul ;  he  has  returned  from  Beyrout." 

The  aged  missionary  looked  down,  recognized  the  youth, 
and,  laying  a  hand  on  his  shoulder,  exclaimed  fervently, 
"  God  bless  you,  my  son  ;  you  are  welcome ! " 

"  Come  with  us,  Abdoul,"  said  Havilah;  "my  father's  house 
is  your  home  in  El  Fureidis." 

"Not  so,"  replied  Abdoul.  "I  have  guided  hither  a 
stranger  fr<3m  among  the  Franks  ;  I  must  provide  him 
shelter." 

"  Bring  him  to  me,"  said  Father  Lapierre  ;  "  my  house, 
Abdoul,  is  the  resting-place  of  the  stranger." 

*  Khadhere  signifies  white  mare. 


EL   FUREIDIS.  21 

"  None  knows  that  better  than  Abdoul,"  answered  the 
youth,  reverently  lifting  the  old  man's  hand  to  his  lips. 
Then  turning  to  Havilah,  he  said,  "And  the  healing  mother, 
lanthe,  is  she  well  ?  " 

A  shade  passed  over  the  girl's  bright  features  as  she  an 
swered,  "  She  complains  not,  but  her  step  is  slow,  and  her 
cheek  paler  than  ever." 

"  Has  Lebanon  no  blessed  herb,"  said  the  youth, — his  ex 
pressive  features  full  of  anxiety,  —  "  that  can  give  comfort 
to  the  comforter?" 

"  There  is  a  balm  in  Gilead,  Abdoul,"  said  Father  La- 
pierre,  fervently,  "  and  in  it  lanthe  has  steeped  her  soul ;  — 
the  rest  she  leaves  to  God." 

"  Allah  preserve  her ! "  exclaimed  the  boy,  devoutly. 

"  We  shall  see  you  to-morrow,  Abdoul,"  said  Havilah,  as 
she  made  a  motion  to  proceed  on  her  way. 

"  And  my  home,  in  the  mean  time,  shall  furnish  shelter 
and  refreshment  to  yourself  and  the  traveller,"  added  Father 
Lapierre. 

"  Your  hospitality  is  well  timed,"  replied  Abdoul.  "  We 
will  come  thither  to-night." 

The  next  moment  the  old  man  and  the  two  maidens  dis 
appeared  down  a  steep  flight  of  steps  cut  in  the  rock ;  and 
Meredith  and  Abdoul,  mounting  their  horses,  proceeded  by 
a  more  circuitous  route  in  the  direction  of  Father  Lapierre's 
humble  dwelling:. 


22 


EL  FUKEIDIS. 


CHAPTER     IV. 


As  the  church,  which  was  the  scene  of  the  good  father's 
priestly  labors,  constituted  the  crowning  point  of  the  terraced 
slope  to  which  clung  the  mountain  village,  so  at  the  foot 
of  the  declivity,  overhung  by  the  habitations  of  his  flock, 
was  the  spot  which  the  aged  man  had  chosen  for  the 
home  of  his  privacy  and  repose.  El  Fureidis,  like  most  vil 
lages  of  the  Lebanon  range,  was  built  upon  successive 
terraces  or  embankments,  rude  walls  of  stone  having  been 
constructed  for  the  support  of  the  light  mould,  which  was 
thus  protected  from  the  washing  of  the  mountain  torrents 
and  made  subservient  to  cultivation.  Hence  many  of  the 
dwellings  in  their  gradation  downwards  were  completely 
overshadowed  by  those  of  the  upper  range,  it  being  no 
infrequent  circumstance  for  the  court-yard  of  one  villager 
to  form  a  perfect  level  with  the  flat  roof  of  his  neighbor 
of  the  succeeding  terrace. 

From  this  species  of  oversight,  the  cottage  of  Father 
Lapierre  was  happily  exempt,  being  situated  at  the  foot 
of  an  abruptly  projecting  cliff,  and  its  seclusion  rendered 
still  more  complete  by  a  thick  grove  of  olive  and  mulberry 
trees,  which  skirted  the  edge  of  the  precipice.  So  snugly 
indeed  was  the  little  dwelling  located  beneath  the  natural 
parapet  of  rock,  that  our  weary  traveller,  having  cautiously 
followed  Abdoul  down  the  circuitous  bridle-path  that  led 
through  the  village,  and  now  gained  a  comparatively  level 


EL  FUREIDIS.  23 

space  of  ground,  would  impatiently  have  spurred  his  horse 
past  the  destined  resting-place,  which  he  wholly  failed  to 
observe,  had  he  not  been  arrested  by  the  voice  of  the  old 
man,  who  had  already  reached  the  spot,  and  was  awaiting 
his  guests  at  the  threshold. 

As  Meredith  responded  to  Father  Lapierre's  welcoming 
ejaculation  by  reining  in  his  horse,  and  casting  around  him 
in  the  dim  light  a  glance  of  surprise  and  inquiry,  his  ven 
erable  hos£  advanced  a  few  steps,  and,  with  dignified  hospi 
tality,  took  the  Englishman's  bridle  in  one  hand,  while  he 
stretched  the  other  towards  him,  saying,  "  Alight,  my  son ; 
it  has  been  a  wild  night,  and  if  you  encountered  the  thun 
der-gust  among  the  mountains,  you  must  stand  in  sore  need 
of  rest  and  refreshment." 

"Thank  you,  my  kind  friend,"  said  Meredith,  as  he 
frankly  grasped  the  old  man's  hand;  "I  am  indeed  ex 
hausted,  and  shall  be  most  grateful  for  your  hospitality." 

"  You  are  burning  with  fever,"  said  the  good  missionary, 
as  he  felt  his  guest's  heated  palm.  "  I  fear,  too,  you  have 
been  drenched  with  the  rain,"  he  continued,  as  he  preceded 
Meredith  through  the  doorway  which  led  into  the  principal 
room  of  his  dwelling.  "  Unless  the  noise  of  that  telltale 
waterfall  deceive  me,  Abdoul,  the  showers  have  been  heav 
ier  above  than  for  many  weeks  past ; "  —  and,  as  he  spoke, 
he  glanced  questioningly  at  the  young  Arab,  who,  having 
followed  them  into  the  cottage,  now  struck  a  light,  which 
sent  a  feeble  glimmer  through  the  apartment. 

"  The  Frank  has  seen  the  big  clouds  burst  on  Lebanon, 
and  has  heard  the  rushing  of  the  Baruk  fountains,  which 
will  not  soon  be  dry  again,"  said  the  boy,  as  he  placed  the 
iron  lamp  that  he  had  been  trimming  in  a  stone  niche  in 
the  wall,  and  hastened  to  obey  the  calls  of  his  own  and 
Meredith's  horses,  which  were  neighing  loudly  outside. 


24  EL  FUREIDIS. 

The  old  man  laid  his  hand  on  Meredith's  shoulder,  felt 
the  dampness  of  his  garments,  then,  with  an  expressive 
gesture,  stepped  quickly  into  a  sort  of  shed  adjoining  the 
dwelling,  and,  returning  with  fuel,  busied  himself  in  lighting 
a  fire,  his  guest  in  the  mean  time  leaning  heavily  against  the 
rough-plastered  wall,  and  making  a  curious  survey  of  the 
unfamiliar  objects  around  him. 

Humble  as  was  the  home  of  Father  Lapierre,  it  neverthe 
less  combined  not  a  few  elements  of  interest,  since  the 
grandeur  of  a  remote  antiquity,  the  primitive  usages  of 
Eastern  life,  and  the  refinements  of  modern  civilization 
were  all  combined  in  its  construction.  The  classic  pillars 
and  sculptured  facade  which  adorned  its  portal,  no  less  than 
the  perfect  proportions  of  its  principal  apartment,  proclaimed 
it  the  ruin  of  some  wayside  shrine  or  ancient  sepulchre,  the 
origin  and  use  of  which  were  buried  among  the  secrets  of 
the  past,  and  were  matters  of  but  little  interest  to  the 
Syrian  peasant,  who,  in  process  of  time,  had  found  a  home 
within  its  walls,  and  added  to  it  the  few  and  unostentatious 
comforts  which  his  simple  life  demanded.  But  if  there  was 
a  marked  incongruity  between  the  remnants  of  ancient 
architecture  and  the  rough  indications  of  peasant  life  and 
labor,  there  was  a  still  greater  contrast  between  the  Oriental 
character  evinced  in  all  these  objects  and  those  evidences  of 
ingenuity  and  convenience  which  were  conspicuous  in  the 
few  articles  of  "Western  use  and  luxury  which  the  hand  of 
affection,  rather  than  any  self-seeking  on  the  part  of  Father 
Lapierre,  had  introduced  into  the  dwelling  since  he  became 
its  occupant 

Thus,  as  Meredith  took  a  rapid  survey  of  everything 
within  the  range  of  his  vision,  he  scarcely  knew  whether  to 
feel  most  astonished  at  the  graceful  stone  shafts  and  noble 
archway,  at  the  earthen  fireplace,  primitive  cooking  uten- 


EL  FUREIDIS.  25 

sils,  and  hard  clay  floor,  or  at  the  hanging  book-shelves, 
glazed  cabinet  of  curiosities,  and  clock  of  American  manu 
facture,  which  hung  upon  the  walls ;  while  his  aged  host, 
with  long  black  robes  and  snowy  beard,  seemed  more  fully 
to  represent  a  patriarchal  age  than  anything  associated  with 
the  present. 

The  somewhat  severe  and  monastic  character  of  the  little 
domicile,  as  discerned  by  the  dim  lamplight,  and  the  damp, 
earthy  chilliness  of  the  atmosphere  within  its  low  stone 
walls,  gave  place  to  comparative  cheerfulness  and  warmth, 
as  the  fire  which  Father  Lapierre  was  but  a  moment  in 
lighting  sent  abroad  its  ruddy  glow.  And  now  the  old  man, 
with  an  alertness  of  movement  which  seemed  to  contradict 
his  extremely  venerable  appearance,  applied  himself  to  such 
other  hospitable  tasks  as  the  occasion  demanded.  Lifting  a 
piece  of  coarse  matting,  which  served  to  divide  the  apart 
ment  from  a  small  dormitory  in  the  rear,  he  disappeared  for 
an  instant,  then,  returning  with  a  thick  goat-skin  burnous 
over  his  arm,  invited  his  guest  to  exchange  the  damp  frieze 
shooting-jacket  which  he  wore,  for  the  ample  Arab  garment. 

Meredith  would  have  resisted,  but  there  was  a  gentle 
authority  in  the  manner  of  his  host  which  enforced  com 
pliance,  and  in  a  moment  more  the  muscular  young  Eng 
lishman,  who  would  have  scorned  such  propositions  if 
otherwise  recommended,  found  himself  wrapped  in  the  folds 
of  rough  cloth,  and  seeking  temporary  repose  on  the  low 
divan  which  ran  around  the  room. 

Here,  stretched  at  full  length,  but  with  no  disposition 
to  lose  himself  in  sleep,  he  watched  with  interest  and 
curiosity  the  operations  of  the  missionary  and  of  Abdoul, 
who  returned  after  a  brief  absence. 

Preparations  for  an  evening  repast  were  evidently  going 
forward.  It  was  the  work  of  but  a  moment  for  Father 
3 


26  EL  FUREIDIS. 

Lapierre  to  take  from  his  larder  the  simple  articles  of 
refreshment  that  it  afforded,  and  a  bowl  of  goat's  milk, 
a  small  vessel  containing  honey,  and  a  remnant  of  burghol, 
or  coarse  boiled  wheat,  were  soon  set  forth  on  the  clumsy 
tray,  which,  mounted  on  a  stool,  constituted  his  only  table. 
Some  other  cares,  however,  served  to  engross  him  more 
fully.  Opening  a  small  cupboard  in  one  corner  of  the 
room  he  took  from  it  several  packages,  examined  their 
labels  with  precision,  then,  selecting  those  which  suited 
his  purpose,  emptied  a  portion  of  their  contents  into  a 
'small  mortar.  He  now  retreated  into  the  inner  room, 
where  Meredith  could  distinctly  hear  him  diligently  pound 
ing  the  substance,  which,  when  sufficiently  pulverized,  was 
brought  to  the  fire  in  an  earthen  vessel,  and,  being  mingled 
with  water,  was  set  upon  the  coals  to  simmer.  The  old 
man,  with  lamp  in  hand,  was  steadily  watching  the  prepara 
tion,  which  began  to  diffuse  an  agreeable  fragrance  through 
the  apartment,  and  was  now  and  then  removing  the  scum 
from  its  surface,  when  the  heavy  door  turned  noiselessly 
on  its  pivot,*  and  Abdoul  entered.  He  wore  an  unmis 
takable  air  of  triumph,  and  a  smile  of  self-gratulation 
played  round  his  handsome  mouth  as  he  took  from  his 
head  a  flat  tray  of  delicious  fruit,  and  removed  from  his 
arm  a  quaintly  formed  basket,  which  he  proceeded  to 
unpack.  The  latter  contained  a  cold  fowl,  a  bottle  of 
transparent  wine,  and  some  thin  crisp  cakes,  such  as  con 
stitute  the  ordinary  bread  of  the  country. 

Father  Lapierre  looked  up  as  the  youth  entered,  but 
offered  no  inquiries  and  manifested  no  surprise  as  Abdoul 
made  a  tasteful  and  tempting  array  of  the  viands  which 


*  Eastern   doors,   instead  of  swinging  on  hinges,   usually  turn  on  a 
central  pivot  resting  in  sockets  hollowed  in  the  floor  and  ceiling. 


EL  FUREIDIS.  27 

he  had  brought.  As  if  considering  that  the  arrangements 
for  the  meal  were  now  complete,  however,  and  that  he 
was  called  upon  to  serve  in  his  capacity  of  host,  the  old 
man  rose  from  his  stooping  posture  at  the  fire,  and,  drawing 
the  table  into  close  proximity  to  Meredith's  couch,  cour 
teously  invited  him  to  partake  of  the  refreshment  thus  set 
before  him.  Meredith,  who  had  risen  from  his  recumbent 
posture,  as  he  observed  his  host's  intention,  hastened  to 
entreat  the  latter  to  be  seated  and  share  the  repast ;  but 
this  he  positively  declined,  and  his  guest,  with  a  listless 
and  indifferent  air  which  betrayed  but  little  keenness  of 
appetite,  prepared  to  do  honor  to  the  excellence  of  the 
fare.  His  efforts  were  in  vain,  however.  The  pure  wine 
for  which  the  country  is  justly  famed  seemed  to  course 
through  his  veins  like  burning  poison,  and  he  experienced 
only  loathing  at  the  first  mouthful  of  the  tender  fowl,  which 
a  few  hours  earlier  he  would  have  devoured  with  a 
sportsman's  eagerness.  The  rich  grapes  alone  offered  any 
temptation  to  his  parched  lips.  He  ate  a  few  of  them, 
then  leaning  his  elbow  on  the  table,  while  his  knife  and 
fork  lay  idly  across  his  plate,  he  sat  for  a  moment  uncon 
sciously  gazing  into  vacancy. 

He  was  roused  by  the  old  man's  hand  placed  gently  upon 
his  forehead.  "  It  is  as  I  feared,"  said  Father  Lapierre ; 
"  you  are  in  no  condition  to  prove  your  ability  as  a  trencher 
man.  It  is  but  poor  hospitality  which  urges  food  upon  one 
who  has  no  inward  promptings;"  —  and  as  he  spoke,  he 
made  a  motion  to  the  watchful  Abdoul,  who  silently  removed 
the  tray.  "You  have  been  exposed  to  the  fever  of  the 
country ;  indeed,  you  are  already  affected  by  it,  as  you  and 
I  can  both  perceive,"  added  the  considerate  host,  laying  his 
fingers  on  Meredith's  pulse.  The  speaker  paused  a  mo 
ment;  then,  as  if  alarmed  by  the  evident  severity  of  liis 


28 


EL  FUREIDIS. 


guest's  symptoms,  exclaimed,  « You  must  take  my  advice, 
my  son,  and  go  at  once  to  bed.  My  little  cell  yonder  boasts 
no  luxuries,  and  my  couch  is  a  hard  one ;  but  I  have  pre 
pared  you  a  soothing  draught,  and  I  trust  you  will  find 
your  best  remedy  in  sleep." 

"  Your  couch,  my  excellent  friend  ?  "  said  Meredith,  rising 
with  a  quick  movement,  then  staggering  back,  while  the 
dizziness  of  his  brain  rendered  the  objects  about  him  indis 
tinct,  —  "I  cannot  think  of  robbing  you  of  the  only  bed 
your  house  affords ;  we  must  seek  lodgings  elsewhere." 

"  My  couch,"  said  Father  Lapierre,  in  reply,  "  is  any  spot 
where  I  have  space  to  spread  my  burnous  and  stretch  my 
limbs ;  habit  has  made  me  independent  of  what  other  men 
call  ease.  For  yourself,  the  same  chance,  or  rather  Provi 
dence,  which  made  you  my  guest,  makes  me  your  medical 
adviser ;  and  the  hakeem  of  an  Eastern  village  is  wont  to 
be  implicitly  obeyed." 

As  he  spoke,  he  raised  the  strip  of  matting  and  looped  it 
firmly  against  the  ceiling,  thereby  disclosing  an  inner  room 
or  closet,  which  contained  only  a  narrow  iron  bedstead,  a 
large  oaken  chest,  and  a  few  garments  hanging  from  the 
walls.  "  Abdoul  will  bring  your  saddle-bags  hither,"  con 
tinued  he,  "  and  for  the  present  you  must  content  yourself 
with  these  narrow  quarters,  and  the  assurance  that,  if  you 
cannot  enjoy  the  comforts  of  an  English  home,  you  shall 
have  every  care  which  could  be  rendered  you  in  your  own 
father's  house." 

There  was  something  in  the  old  man's  dignified  and  pater 
nal  tone  of  command  which  bore  down  all  opposition,  and 
Meredith,  in  his  weak  and  prostrate  condition,  could  only 
thank  him  and  submit.  The  traveller's  luggage,  therefore, 
was  instantly  brought,  and  while  he  took  possession  of  his 
unpretending  bedroom  Father  Lapierre  returned  to  the 


EL  FUBEIDIS.  29 

preparation  of  that  healing  medicament  of  which  he  had  so 
truly  foreseen  the  use,  and  which  was  still  steeping  over  the 
fire. 

Some  hours  passed  on.  The  not  unpalatable  dose  had 
been  administered,  and  had  brought  to  the  senses  and  limbs 
of  the  patient  a  certain  degree  of  repose,  though  sleep  was 
still  far  from  his  eyelids.  The  fire  burned  low  in  the  sunken 
fireplace,  diffusing  now  and  then  a  flickering  light  through 
the  outer  apartment,  but  leaving  the  inner  in  complete 
shadow.  The  solemn  hush  of  night  was  undisturbed  save 
by  the  monotonous  plashing  of  the  neighboring  waterfall, 
the  barking  of  a  village  dog,  or  the  sharp  cry  of  a  jackal 
in  the  distance.  But  though  all  within  doors  was  studiously 
quiet,  it  was  not  the  quiet  of  slumber ;  for  Father  Lapierre 
had  devoted  the  night  to  watching,  his  anxiety  concerning 
his  patient  being  quickened  by  the  fact  that  the  narcotic 
had  taken  only  partial  effect,  and  Abdoul  had  wakened  from 
his  first  sound  sleep  to  creep  near  the  fire,  crouch  over  it 
for  greater  warmth,  and  spread  his  thin,  slender  hands  in 
front  of  the  decaying  embers.  Thus  as  Meredith  lay 
motionless  on  his  little  pallet,  gazing  with  strained  and 
feverish  intensity  into  the  room  beyond,  the  picture  which 
it  presented  was  that  of  a  noble,  hermit-like  figure,  kneeling 
beside  the  low  divan  of  the  opposite  wall,  his  long,  white 
beard  sweeping  the  pages  of  an  open  Bible,  and  his  hoary 
head  resting  on  his  hands,  while  his  heart  was  engaged  in 
midnight  devotion,  and  —  the  more  striking  from  his  utter 
contrast  with  the  venerable  missionary  —  the  lithe,  wiry 
form  of  the  Arab  boy,  drawn  up  so  that  his  arms  embraced 
his  knees,  his  small  white  turban,  gay  red  vest,  and  striped 
abaya  brought  out  in  strong  relief  against  a  dark  back 
ground,  while  now  and  then  the  light  flame  played. over  his 
swarthy  face,  revealing  the  intense  brightness  of  his  eyes, 
3* 


gO  EL  FUREIDIS. 

and  more  than  once  a  fierce  scowl,  perhaps  of  malice,  per- 
hap^  of  defiance,  shot  across  his  expressive  countenance,  as 
he  peered  eagerly  in  the  direction  of  the  dormitory. 

It  was  but  one  of  many  visions  which  passed  before 
the  eyes  of  Meredith  during  the  succeeding  weeks  that  he 
lay  imprisoned  on  that  little  couch,  and,  as  now  the  form  of 
the  grave  old  man  constituted  the  calm,  strong  background 
to  the  picture,  while  Abdoul's  keen  face  and  savage  glances 
gave  a  startling  wildness  to  the  scene,  so  through  days  of 
weariness  and  nights  of  delirium  the  presence  of  the  good 
old  priest  invariably  imparted  a  sweet  sense  of  repose  and 
serenity  to  the  sufferer,  whom  the  sight  of  the  Arab  boy,  or 
the  mere  sound  of  his  voice,  never  failed  to  agitate  or  dis 
turb.  To  the  excited  and  feverish  brain  of  Meredith  it 
was  as  if  the  one  were  the  herald  of  sleep  and  refreshment, 
the  other,  the  harbinger  of  restlessness  and  pain ;  the  one, 
a  soothing  angel  of  peace,  the  other,  a  disturbing  spirit  of 
unrest. 

The  nerves  which  had  become  irritated,  and  the  pulse 
which  had  been  quickened  by  the  old  man's  occasional 
absence,  were  quieted  and  subdued  from  the  moment  that 
he  re-entered  his  dwelling ;  the  eyes,  which  had  glared  with 
unnatural  intensity,  while  watching  the  motions  of  the  agile 
youth,  were  closed  in  gentle  slumber  when  the  calm  old 
man  quietly  assumed  at  the  bedside  the  offices  of  a  nurse. 
On  one  occasion,  when  Meredith's  fever  was  at  its  height, 
and  Father  Lapierre  had  been  peremptorily  summoned  from 
home,  a  troop  of  village  children,  attracted  by  curiosity,  and 
unprohibited  by  Abdoul,  took  possession  of  the  outer  room 
of  the  dwelling,  and  by  their  juvenile  pranks  and  licensed 
stares  excited  the  Englishman  almost  to  frenzy.  At  the 
return  of  the  pastor,  and  at  his  brief  expostulation,  they 
readily  dispersed;  but  the  harmless  little  band  continued 


EL  FUREIDIS.  81 

for  several  days  to  haunt  the  brain  of  the  sick  man^in 
whose  eyes  Father  Lapierre  was  glorified  as  an  ang^r  of 
light,  whose  power  had  put  to  flight  those  imps  of  evil 
which  Abdoul,  the  prince  of  darkness,  had  maliciously  con 
jured  up. 

And  once,  once  only,  when  the  boy  had  been  sent  on  a 
distant  mission,  when  Father  Lapierre  was  reading  in  his 
outer  room,  and  when  the  sick  man,  who  had  been  all  day 
under  the  influence  of  a  powerful  opiate,  was  supposed  to 
be  still  asleep,  the  outer  door  turned  gently  on  its  stone 
pivot,  the  glow  of  the  Syrian  twilight  gushed  in  at  the 
aperture,  and  there,  amid  the  golden  halo,  stood  the  slender 
form  of  a  young  girl,  —  the  same  whom  Meredith  had  seen 
in  the  church  on  the  first  evening  of  his  arrival,  who  had 
seemed  to  him  more  than  humanly  lovely  then,  and  who 
appeared  to  him  now  less  a  woman  than  a  seraph.  She 
spoke,  and  though  her  words  and  her  modern  Greek  accent 
were  unintelligible  to  the  Englishman,  her  voice  charmed 
all  his  senses ;  she  smiled,  and  he  read  in  her  face  all  the 
heavenly  beatitudes.  A  moment  more,  and  she  was  gone, 
and  with  her  went  the  western  sunlight,  and  gloom  over 
spread  the  room  again. 

Day  after  day,  at  the  selfsame  hour,  the  sick  man 
watched  the  door-way ;  but  it  opened  no  more  to  give 
admittance  to  the  young  girl,  whose  solitary  visit  became 
at  length  to  the  invalid  like  one  of  the  visions  of  his 
fancy.  And  as  such  it  was  treasured  up,  and  cherished 
in  his  memory.  Henceforth  she  mingled  in  his  dreams, 
and  lived  in  the  world  of  his  imagination.  She  was  the 
spirit  of  good,  walking  hand  in  hand  with  the  old  man, 
adding  beauty  to  his  strength.  He  was  a  wand  of  power, 
she  a  garment  of  light;  he  was  a  healing  influence,  she 
an  angel  of  grace.  Against  them  both,  Abdoul  and  all 


32  EL  FUREIDIS. 

igents  of  darkness  were  powerless  indeed;  and,  as 
lally  the  fever  was  allayed,  and  the  invalid  progressed 
in  his  convalescence,  the  spectres  of  evil  which  had  haunted 
his  pillow  gave  place  to  the  images  of  sweetness  and  re 
pose  which  now  had  full  possession  of  his  soul. 

Thus,  with  Father  Lapierre  for  his  physician  and  nurse, 
with  Havilah  for  the  companion  of  his  thoughts,  and  the 
constant,  though  unknown,  minister  to  his  wants,  and  with 
God's  blessing  on  the  efforts  of  them  both,  the  stranger 
in  this  Syrian  land  found  repose  in  the  place  of  delirium, 
exchanged  sickness  for  health,  and  felt  his  burning  fever 
quenched  by  the  dew  of  healing. 

Was  it  not  typical  of  a  deeper,  holier  ministry,  under  whose 
sacred  influence  the  spirit  long  tossed  with  doubt  should 
find  a  truer  rest,  the  soul  sick  with  vain  longings  should 
be  satisfied,  and  life's  varied  ills  should  all  find  their 
cure  at  the  hand  of  God's  faithful  servants,  and  under  the 
blessing  of  Him  who  has  promised,  "  Unto  them  that  fear 
my  name  shall  the  Sun  of  righteousness  arise,  with  healing 
on  his  wings  "  ? 


EL  FUREIDIS. 


CHAPTER    V. 


WHAT  newness  of  life  there  is  in  the  recovery  from  long 
illness,  —  what  consciousness  of  that  secret  spring  of  power 
and  freedom,  which  glows  once  more  in  every  member,  - — 
what  music  in  the  cheerful  sound  of  human  voices,  so  long 
subdued  or  hushed  to  silence  in  the  sick-room,  —  what  elo 
quence  and  pathos  in  the  universal  voice  of  Nature,  when 
she  first  welcomes  forth  the  convalescent! 

Especially  is  this  the  case  when  one  rouses,  as  Meredith 
did,  from  the  torpor  of  utter  prostration,  and,  aided  by  a 
constitution  of  unusual  vigor,  feels  the  current  of  health 
flow  back,  not  by  slow  and  almost  imperceptible  degrees, 
but  in  a  full,  strong,  gushing  tide. 

"When  he  first  emerged  through  the  arched  doorway 
of  his  little  prison-house,  his  limbs  tottered,  and  he  leaned 
heavily  on  the  arm  of  Father  Lapierre,  who  had  with  some 
difficulty  persuaded  him  to  make  an  effort  to  which  he 
believed  himself  wholly  incompetent.  But  when  seated 
on  a  fallen  column  just  outside  the  dwelling,  the  soft  sum 
mer  air  speedily  revived  him,  every  fragrant  breeze  seemed 
to  bring  with  it  new  strength,  and,  his  mind  and  body  alike 
invigorated  by  a  sense  of  contact  with  the  outside  world, 
he  felt  ready  and  impatient  for  new  exertions.  So  rapidly 
indeed  did  his  elastic  system  recover  its  wonted  tone,  that, 
so  far  from  encouraging,  Father  Lapierre  now  became 
only  anxious  to  restrain  his  charge ;  but  it  was  no  longer 

c 


34  EL  FUREIDIS. 

possible :  a  few  days  had  sufficed  to  accomplish  a  restora- 
tiflP  which  a  less  powerful  nature  would  have  required 
as  many  weeks  to  attain;  the  prisoner  had  suddenly,  and 
without  warning,  burst  his  bonds,  and  Meredith  felt  himself 
a  free  man  again. 

How  beautiful  was  the  scene  which  lay  before  him, 
beckoning  on  every  side,  and  inviting  him  to  wander  forth 
and  explore  its  hidden  recesses ! 

Mount  Lebanon  was  teeming  in  all  the  richness  of  her 
summer  verdure;  her  choicest  flowers  were  sending  forth 
their  perfume,  and  fruits  of  every  clime  were  ripening  in 
the  sunshine  of  her  vales.  The  rich  plains  at  her  feet 
were  rejoicing  in  their  wealth  of  waving  grain,  and  her 
terraced  slopes  were  promising  to  the  husbandman  that 
still  more  precious  harvest  which  the  olive  and  mulberry 
grove  yields.  The  gushing  sound  of  waterfalls  proclaimed 
the  existence  of  those  pure,  refreshing  springs,  which  carry 
richness  and  fertility  in  their  course,  and  the  lofty  moun 
tains,  which  hemmed  in  the  prospect,  held  out  an  irresisti 
ble  temptation  to  climb  their  summits,  and  catch  glimpses 
of  the  picturesque  views  beyond. 

Nor  was  Meredith  slow  in  obeying  nature's  summons. 
His  newly  acquired  strength  was  each  day  tested  to  the 
utmost,  his  feet  urged  on  and  his  weariness  beguiled  by 
the  novelty,  strangeness,  and  bewildering  beauty  which 
were  disclosed  at  every  step,  and  oftentimes  he  was  only 
reminded  of  his  weakness  when  finding  himself  stretched 
in  utter  exhaustion  upon  some  moss-grown  rock,  or  in  the 
shade  of  some  spreading  tree. 

His  first  essay  at  pedestrian  exercise  brought  him 
within  the  precincts  of  the  village,  and  a  part  of  the 
succeeding  day  was  spent  in  strolling  among  its  cultivated 
terraces.  Nor  was  there  here  any  lack  of  novelty  and 


EL  FUEEIDIS.  35 

diversion  for  the  stranger.     The  picturesque  costume,  rude 

•P 
songs,  and  curious  implements   of  the   peasants   at  work 

in  their  gardens  and  mulberry  plantations,  the  various 
domestic  occupations  which  the  Avomen  were  carrying  on 
in  the  open  air,  together  with  the  industrious  rearing 
and  feeding  of  the  silk-worms,  which  were  the  chief  object 
of  the  housewives'  care,  all  combined  to  arrest  the  traveller's 
attention,  and  agreeably  occupy  his  thoughts. 

His  observations  could  not,  however,  be  carried  on 
without  his  becoming,  in  turn,  an  object  of  curiosity  and 
interest  to  the  simple  villagers.  All  eyes  turned  upon 
him  as  he  walked,  labor  suddenly  ceased  wherever  he  made 
his  appearance,  children  dogged  his  footsteps,  and  lean 
dogs  barked  at  him  from  every  court-yard,  creating  a 
degree  of  publicity  so  distasteful  to  his  reserved  character, 
that  he  finally  turned  his  back  upon  the  little  hamlet,  with 
a  resolve  to  abjure  its  vicinity  on  future  occasions. 

The  next  morning,  therefore,  he  took  his  course  in  a  con 
trary  direction,  and,  following  a  little  goat-path,  plunged 
down  a  deep  ravine,  which  stretched  in  front  of  Father  La- 
pierre's  dwelling,  and  at  the  bottom  of  which  wound  the 
clear  mountain  stream,  the  murmur  of  whose  waterfall  was 
audible  within  the  cottage,  and  constituted,  as  we  have  ob 
served,  the  old  man's  barometer. 

On  the  opposite  side  of  the  deeply  wooded  gorge,  the 
mountains  rose  with  unusual  abruptness,  and  although  cov 
ered  at  their  base  with  luxuriant  vegetation,  their  sides 
were  almost  destitute  of  verdure,  save  where  the  hand  of 
industry  had  improved  the  sparse  soil,  and  their  tops  pre 
sented  a  stern,  bare  surface,  which  formed  a  severe  outline 
against  the  clear  blue  sky.  Half-way  up  one  of  these  giant 
slopes,  and  only  separated  from  El  Fureidis  by  the  deep 
cleft  in  the  mountains,  was  an  ancient,  irregularly-built 


36  EL  FUREIDIS. 

convent,  scarcely  distinguishable  from  the  huge  mass  of 
rock  Avhich  had  furnished  the  material  for  its  construction, 
and  out  of  the  heart  of  which  it  had  been  partially  hewn. 
From  every  point  of  view  the  convent  was  a  prominent 
and  striking  feature  in  the  landscape :  it  was  the  deep-toned 
bell  of  its  high  tower  which  had  sounded  Meredith's  first 
welcome  to  El  Fureidis :  he  had  in  the  earliest  hour  of  his 
release  from  illness  been  attracted  by  the  picturesque  old 
eyry,  and  it  now  furnished  the  object  and  motive  of  his 
morning's  excursion. 

But  despite  his  experience  oh  his  recent  journey,  he 
had  yet  to  become  convinced  of  the  deceptions  peculiar 
to  these  mountain  districts,  where  the  existence  of  a  nar 
row  gorge,  or  empty  river-bed,  may  place  weary  miles 
between  places  apparently  within  a  stone's  throw  of  each 
other. 

Thus  he  toiled  on  for  some  time,  at  first  with  buoyancy 
and  zest,  as  occasional  openings  in  the  landscape  revealed 
the  convent,  apparently  within  half  an  hour's  walk,  then 
with  an  air  of  languor  and  fatigue,  as,  after  descending  many 
a  precipice,  and  climbing  many  an  ascent,  he  lost  sight  of 
the  building  altogether,  and  began  to  suspect  that  it  was  still 
far  distant.  He  had  crossed  the  little  winding  stream  so 
many  times  that  he  had  become  bewildered,  and  uncertain 
whether  it  were  the  right  or  left  bank  which  he  ought  to 
pursue,  and  at  length,  having  reached  a  point  where  the 
goat-path  that  he  had  been  following  suddenly  ceased,  he 
paused  and  looked  around  him  for  some  landmark  by  which 
to  direct  his  steps.  The  footprints  of  various  animals  were 
here  and  there  discernible,  but  they  crossed  each  other  in 
different  directions,  giving  no  indication  of  an  accessible 
route.  Far  up  on  the  slope  above  him,  however,  he  could 
observe  a  flock  of  sheep,  climbing  the  mountain-side  in  long 


EL  FUREIDIS.  37 

s.ingle  file,  and,  resolving  to  follow  these  dumb  guides,  he 
set  out  anew,  confident  in  the  belief  that  they  would  lead 
him  into  the  vicinity  of  the  convent  sheepfold. 

It  was  noAv  high  noon.  The  sun,  from  which  the  thick 
shade  of  the  valley  had  hitherto  protected  him,  beat  merci 
lessly  upon  his  head,  as  he  toiled  across  barren  slopes  and 
around  flinty  ridges,  still  keeping  in  view  the  flock  of  noise 
less-footed  animals,  and  following  the  long  fleecy  line,  as  one 
might  follow  in  the  white  wake  of  a  steadily  receding  ship. 
The  consciousness  of  his  recent  illness,  and  of  his  still  di 
minished  strength,  began  now  to  force  itself  upon  him,  and 
his  curiosity  to  visit  and  explore  the  Maronite  convent  was 
lost  in  the  stronger  and  more  immediate  desire  to  gain  some 
shady  retreat,  where  he  might  rest  awhile  before  proceeding 
on  his  way. 

It  was  with  no  slight  satisfaction,  therefore,  that,  as  he 
rounded  a  little  point  behind  which  he  had  a  moment  before 
lost  sight  of  his  fleecy  convoy,  he  beheld  one  of  those  basins 
of  verdure  which  are  sometimes  found  even  at  great  alti 
tudes  among  the  mountains,  and  towards  which  the  sheep, 
having  now  broken  into  a  full  run,  were  hastening  with  a 
speed'  which  betokened  the  refreshment  they  anticipated 
beneath  its  shade. 

With  equal  eagerness,  and  an  accelerated  pace,  Meredith 
followed,  and,  without  caring  farther  to  pursue  the  sheep, 
which  speedily  disappeared  in  the  thicket,  he  threw  himself 
down  on  a  flowery  bank  under  the  shade  of  a  huge  wild 
oak,  and,  baring  his  temples  to  the  breeze,  indulged  in  the 
long,  free  respiration  which  relieves  the  frame  overtaxed  by 
exercise  and  fatigue. 

How  long  he  lay  here  he  scarcely  knew ;  indeed,  he  could 
not  be  sure  that  he  had  not  fallen  into  a  light  slumber,  when 
he  was  startled  by  a  slight  crackling  sound,  as  of  some  one 
4 


38  EL  FUREIDIS. 

parting  the  bushes  which  formed  a  complete  undergrowth 
in  the  vicinity-  of  his  resting-place.  Bethinking  himself  of 
his  need  of  a  guide,  and  supposing  this  might  be  the  shep 
herd  in  search  of  his  stray  flock,  he  suddenly  raised  himself 
on  his  elbow  and  uttered  a  loud  "  Halloo  ! "  The  sound  had 
scarcely  left  his  lips,  when  he  distinguished,  just  above  his 
head,  a  footfall  scarcely  heavier  than  that  of  a  hare  or  an 
antelope,  and,  with  a  light  bound,  a  figure  stood  before  him, 
which  caused  him  to  spring  to  his  feet,  and  stand  for  an 
instant  almost  paralyzed  with  astonishment.  It  was  so  like 
the  young  girl  whom  he  had  seen,  clothed  in  white,  in  the 
village  church,  and  who,  similarly  attired,  had  dawned  upon 
him  like  a  vision  in  his  sick-room,  that  he  was  sure  he  could 
not  be  mistaken  as  to  her  identity  ;  and  yet  it  was  so  unlike 
the  creature  of  his  imagination  and  his  dreams,  that  he  half 
suspected  his  senses  were  playing  him  false.  Her  long 
white  robe  was  exchanged  for  a  full  skirt  of  the  striped 
gilk-and-wool  material  common  among  the  Arabs,  and 
which,  terminating  above  the  ankle,  displayed  her  neatly 
fitting  little  boot  of  red  Damascus  leather.  She  wore  a 
jacket  of  scarlet  cloth,  and,  in  place  of  the  long  white  muslin 
veil,  a  gay  kefiyeh,  or  striped  handkerchief,  fantastically 
bound  around  her  head,  its  long  pointed  ends,  with  their 
deep  silken  fringe,  shading  each  side  of  her  face. 

Beside  her,  attendant  on  her  slightest  motion,  was  a  small, 
graceful  gazelle,  whose  large,  dark  eyes,  invariably  follow 
ing  those  of  his  mistress,  seemed  to  impart  to  her  a  double 
power  of  observation,  and  aided  not  a  little  in  disconcerting 
Meredith,  who,  as  he  sprung  to  his  feet,  found  himself  face 
to  face  with  both  pair  of  melting  orbs.  Had  Diana  herself, 
attended  by  one  of  her  wood-nymphs,  suddenly  burst  from 
the  thicket,  Meredith  could  scarcely  have  experienced  any 
greater  awe  and  amazement  than  that  which  took  posses- 


EL  FUREIDIS.  39 

sion  of  him  at  this  sudden  and  unlooked-for  appearance  of 
Havilah  and  her  little  companion.  He  commenced  an  awk 
ward  and  stammering  apology  for  his  rude  shout  to  the 
supposed  shepherd,  but  was  interrupted  and  still  further  em 
barrassed  by  a  sweet,  child-like  laugh,  a  spontaneous  gush 
of  merriment,  which  at  once  betrayed  the  young  girl's 
natural  and  innocent  consciousness  of  the  surprise  her  pres 
ence  occasioned. 

"  I  am  a  stranger,"  he  once  more  began  ;  "  and  —  "  He 
checked  himself  abruptly,  as  the  thought  darted-  through  his 
mind  that  she  could  not  probably  comprehend  a  word  of 
English,  or  any  other  language  he  had  at  command.  He 
now  actually  colored  with  confusion,  for  Meredith,  the  stu 
dent,  the  traveller,  the  man  of  thirty,  was  a  novice  in  female 
society,  and  utterly  free  from  vanity  in  respect  to  the  sex. 
Moreover,  despite  the  animation  of  Havilah's  manner,  and 
the  peculiarity  of  her  dress,  which  imparted  to  her  a  singu 
larly  youthful  appearance,  he  could  not  forget  the  sanctity 
with  which  he  had  hitherto  regarded  her,  nor  the  spiritual 
influence  which  her  presence  had  exercised  upon  him. 

The  unsophisticated  mountain  girl  was,  however,  far  from 
sharing  his  embarrassment.  She  did  not  even  seem  to  per 
ceive  it,  but,  responding  merely  to  the  doubt  expressed  in  his 
countenance,  said  with  frank  simplicity,  —  speaking  in  his 
mother  tongue,  with  merely  that  slight  shade  of  accent 
which  proved  it  was  not  habitual  to  her,  —  "  I  understand, — 
I  speak  English,  —  and  it  is  the  English  stranger,  Father 
Lapierre's  guest,  whom  I  am  happy  to  have  the  honor  of 
seeing  in  El  Fureidis."  She  bent  her  head  gracefully  as  she 
thus  saluted  him,  and,  though  Meredith's  curiosity  regarding 
her  continued  unsatisfied,  he  felt  that  no  studied  reception 
could  be  more  courtly  or  more  dignified  than  that  with 
which  this  young  creature,  half  child,  half  woman,  thus 


40  EL  FUREIDIS. 

acknowledged  his  acquaintance,  and  welcomed  him  to  her 
mountain  home. 

Reassured  by  the  familiar  language  and  usages  with 
which  an  Englishman,  least  of  all  men,  knows  how  to  dis 
pense,  he  bowed,  thanked  her,  and  added,  "  I  left  Father 
Lapierre's  cottage  this  morning  for  the  purpose  of  visiting 
the  convent  I  have  been  wandering  for  some  hours 
through  the  valley,  and  when  I  shouted  so  loud,  it  was  in  the 
hope  of  hailing  a  guide,  for  I  find  myself  completely  lost 
among  your  hills." 

"Not  lost,"  exclaimed  she,  with  an  arch  expression  of 
amusement  at  the  fruitless  circuit  he  had  made,  and  his 
ignorance  of  the  present  locality ;  "  for,  see !  we  are  close 
to  the  village." 

As  she  spoke,  she  darted  through  the  woods,  waving  her 
hand,  and  beckoning  him  to  follow  her.  So  rapid  was  her 
movement,  that  ere  he  could  part  the  thick  undergrowth 
sufficiently  to  admit  his  tall  form,  she  had  gained  the  extrem 
ity  of  the  little  thicket,  and  when  he  emerged  from  the 
wood  she  stood  awaiting  him  on  the  verge  of  a  giddy  preci 
pice,  which  overhung  a  deep  valley  below. 

At  one  point  of  this  mountain  height  a  huge  mass  of 
rock  stretched  itself  above  the  gorge,  projecting  its  sharp 
angles  and  slender  needles  of  flint  into  mid-ether,  and 
apparently  offering  no  foothold  save  to  the  birds  of  the  air. 
Giving  one  glance  back  to  see  if  she  were  observed  and 
followed,  Havilah  mounted  this  wild  acclivity  with  a  step  as 
light  and  fearless  as  that  of  the  gazelle  by  which  she  was 
closely  pursued ;  without  pausing  to  take  breath,  or  measure 
her  course,  she  scaled,  one  after  another,  each  intervening 
cliff,  and  faltered  not  until  she  stood  on  the  outermost  pro 
jection,  a  thin  surface  of  table-rock,  which  overhung  the 
abyss  at  a  fearful  angle.  Startled  at  her  temerity,  and 


EL  FUREIDIS.  41 

trembling  for  her  safety,  Meredith,  himself  expert  in  moun 
tain  exercises,  followed  as  he  best  might,  but  soon  found 
himself  distanced  by  her  nimble  foot ;  and  when  at  length 
he  beheld  her,  just  floating,  as  it  were,  on  the  edge  of  the 
giddy  parapet,  he  half  believed  her  some  mountain  sprite, 
and  expected  that  the  next  moment  would  see  her  vanish 
into  nothingness. 

A  touchingly  human  expression  overspread  her  coun 
tenance,  however,  as,  looking  up  to  address  a  word  to  her 
companion,  she  observed  him  standing  at  some  little  distance, 
pale  with  the  efforts  he  had  made,  and  struck  dumb  by  hor 
ror  at  her  perilous  position.  Wholly  mistaking  the  cause  of 
that  hesitation,  which  forbade  him  to  venture  on  the  thin 
platform  of  rock  that  seemed  scarcely  capable  of  sustain 
ing  her  own  light  weight,  and  noticing  only  his  sudden 
pallor,  she  unconsciously  relieved  his  agitation  on  her 
account  by  at  once  deserting  her  exposed  post ;  and,  hasten 
ing  to  his  side,  she  exclaimed,  in  a  tone  of  regret  and 
anxiety,  "You  are  ill;  I  have  been  very  thoughtless;  I 
quite  forgot  how  ill  you  had  been." 

"0  no,"  answered  Meredith,  at  once  deprecating  her 
sympathy ;  "  I  am  well,  perfectly  well,  except  as  you  make 
me  sick  with  fears  for  your  safety.  I  trembled  lest  that 
slender  ledge  of  rock  should  give  way  beneath  your  feet." 

"  What !  the  rock  ?  the  Falcon  Perch  give  way  ?  "  re 
plied  she.  "  O  no,  it  is  as  firm  as  the  heart  of  the  mountain. 
M.  Lapierre  and  my  father  often  sit  there  together  to  watch 
the  coming  storm,  and  Ayib  and  I  come  hither  to  see  the 
purple  sunsets  and  the  rainbows ; "  —  and  she  laid  her  hand 
affectionately  on  the  head  of  the  little  animal  by  her  side, 
who,  as  if  catching  his  mistress's  expression,  seemed  to 
peer  into  Meredith's  face  with  an  air  of  tender  concern. 
"But  you  are  fatigued,"  continued  Havilah,  evidently 
4* 


42  EL  FUREIDIS. 

unconvinced  by  Meredith's  emphatic  assertions;  "we  will 
return  home.  I  only  wished  to  show  you  how  near  we  are 
to  a  place  of  rest  and  shelter.  The  village  is  just  beneath 
us:  let  us  go  there  at  once." 

"Not  until  I  too  have  mounted  the  perch,  and  taken 
one  look  into  the  valley,"  said  Meredith,  pressing  eagerly 
forward,  now  that  she  began  to  urge  him  to  retrace  his 
steps.  With  simple  earnestness  she  held  out  her  hand 
to  assist  his  progress ;  but  his  sensitive  pride  had  taken 
alarm  at  the  possible  imputation  of  cowardice  or  weakness 
on  his  part,  and,  feigning  not  to  observe  her  proffered  aid, 
he  bounded  forward,  with  an  agility  which  would  have 
done  credit  to  a  chamois-hunter,  and  in  an  instant  stood 
erect  on  the  giddy  eminence,  which  a  moment  before  he 
had  shuddered  to  see  Havilah  occupy. 

Lost,  however,  was  all  sense  of  personal  mortification  or 
triumph,  as,  gazing  from  his  eyry-like  position,  he  saw 
spread  below  him,  like  a  little  amphitheatre,  the  village 
which  he  had  left  in  the  morning,  and  perceived  at  a  glance 
that,  having  nearly  made  the  circuit  of  the  place,  he  now 
approached  it  from  an  unexpected  quarter,  and  obtained  of 
it  a  more  extended  view  than  had  yet  been  afforded  him. 
Hitherto  his  observations  had  been  limited  to  the  dwellings 
of  the  peasants,  and  the  village  church,  which  stood  on  the 
topmost  terrace  above  them.  Now  the  first  thing  which 
struck  his  eye  was  a  tall,  narrow  building  with  a  high  bell- 
tower,  which  he  at  once  recognized  as  one  of  the  silk-facto 
ries  common  to  the  district ;  and  near  it,  embosomed  in  a 
grove  of  fruit  and  ornamental  trees,  a  tasteful  house  and 
gardens,  evidently  the  residence  of  some  European  family. 
The  neat  white  villa  was  separated  from  the  factory  and  its 
unsightly  appendages  by  a  thick  mulberry  plantation ;  but 
all  were  evidently  the  property  of  one  owner,  being  built 


EL  FUREIDIS.  43 

on  a  succession  of  similarly  constructed  terraces,  and  divided 
from  the  more  ancient  village  by  a  clear,  impetuous  stream, 
which  gushed  down  the  mountain-side  in  a  foaming  cascade, 
then,  rapidly  coursing  through  its  narrow  bed,  turned  the 
wheel  of  the  modern  factory,  as  well  as  that  of  an  old  olive- 
mill  on  the  opposite  bank. 

"My  father's  silk-factory,"  said  Havilah,  as,  having 
watched  Meredith's  eye,  while  it  roamed  delightedly  over 
the  fair  prospect,  she  observed  him  glance  at  the  tall  building, 
and  turn  towards  her  with  a  look  of  inquiry ;  and  ere  the 
words  by  which  she  had  anticipated  his  questioning  had 
passed  her  lips,  the  tower-bell  sounded  the  hour  of  noon,  and 
the  work-people  streamed  through  the  doorway  and  sepa 
rated  to  their  dwellings. 

"  My  father  will  be  at  leisure  now,  for  the  rest  of  the  day," 
continued  Havilah,  after  a  moment's  pause,  "and  my  mother 
will  expect  us  yonder  to  the  noonday  meal," — and  she  waved 
her  hand  in  the  direction  of  the  villa.  "  Come  with  me ; 
the  stranger  has  always  a  welcome  there." 

As  she  spoke  she  turned  to  depart,  and  Meredith  followed 
her  in  silence,  a  new  light  having  dawned  upon  him  con 
cerning  the  probable  birth  and  station  of  his  lovely  young 
acquaintance  and  guide. 

They  soon  regained  the  little  thicket,  and  Havilah  struck 
at  once  into  a  pathway  which  wound  gradually  downwards. 
They  had  proceeded  but  a  short  distance,  however,  when 
they  reached  a  little  opening  in  the  woods,  an  oasis  of  flow 
ers  and  verdure,  which  presented  at  the  moment  of  their 
approach  a  scene  of  picturesque  novelty  and  pastoral  beauty, 
such  as  were  associated  in  the  mind  of  our  traveller  with 
patriarchal  ages,  in  the  primitive  life  of  the  world.  Be 
neath  the  ruins  of  an  ancient  grotto,  a  fountain  of  crystal 
water  gushed  from  the  living  rock,  danced  and  leaped 


44  EL  FUREIDIS. 

awhile  in  the  ever-brimming  basin  beneath,  then  rippled 
away  to  swell  the  gurgling  streams  which  everywhere  run 
among  these  fruitful  hills.  Two  immense  watering-troughs 
stood  near,  which  it  was  the  care  of  the  villagers  daily  to 
fill  for  the  use  of  the  animals  pastured  on  the  heights  above. 
A  couple  of  Syrian  peasant-girls  had  just  completed  this 
task  at  the  moment  when  Meredith  and  his  companion  ap 
proached  the  spot,  and  now  sat  leaning  on  their  heavy 
water-jugs,  idly  watching  the  flock  of  sheep  which  had  been 
Meredith's  unerring  guides,  and  which  crowded  and  pressed 
around  the  troughs,  where  they  were  eager  to  slake  their 
noonday  thirst.  The  two  damsels  started  up  as  they  caught 
sight  of  the  new-comers,  drew  their  white  veils  partially 
across  their  faces,  made  a  formal  salutation  to  the  stranger, 
and  busied  themselves  with  alacrity  in  dispersing  the  sheep 
in  the  neighborhood  of  the  fountain,  in  order  to  clear  a  pas 
sage  for  Havilah,  to  whom  they  evidently  looked  up  with 
sincere  and  affectionate  respect,  while  they  laughingly  re 
sponded  to  some  playful  remark  which  she  addressed  to 
them  in  their  native  language. 

Meredith  now  perceived,  for  the  first  time,  that  Havilah 
carried  in  her  hand  a  little  pitcher,  of  antique  form,  and  at 
once  divined  the  purpose  of  her  excursion,  which  was 
doubtless  to  fill  the  vessel  at  the  clear,  cool  spring.  He 
thought  of  the  maidens  of  ancient  Scripture  and  of  classic 
lore,  and  wondered  if  ever  a  daughter  in  Israel,  or  a 
Delphic  virgin,  was  half  so  beautiful  as  she  looked  when 
kneeling  for  a  moment  beside  the  fountain,  or  when  rising 
and  inviting  him  to  taste  the  water  of  the  thrice-blessed 
spring. 

"  How  delicious !  how  pure  !  how  icy  cold ! "  he  ex 
claimed,  as,  after  imbibing  a  refreshing  draught,  he  removed 
the  pitcher  from  his  lips,  dashed  the  remainder  of  its  con- 


EL  FUREIDIS.  45 

tents  on  the  grass,  and,  refilling,  presented  it  to  the  young 
girl,  whose  face  glowed  with  pleasure  at  his  praise  of  her 
favorite  fountain. 

"It  is  the  freshly  melted  snow  of  Lebanon,  filtered 
through  crystal  and  spar,"  said  Havilah.  "  We  call  it 
Ayn  el  Bered  (the  ice-cold  spring).  M.  Lapierre  ascribes 
to  it  marvellous  virtues  ;  my  father  calls  it  our  native 
Champagne  ;  to  my  mother  it  is  more  welcome  than  sherbet. 
She  will  thirst  for  it  now  that  the  dinner-hour  draws  near, 
and  I  must  be  in  haste."  So  saying,  she  turned  into  the 
abruptly  descending  path,  and,  carrying  her  brimming  pitcher 
with  a  steady  hand,  proceeded  at  so  rapid  a  rate  that  Mere 
dith  could  scarcely  keep  pace  with  her  flying  feet,  and  had 
no  opportunity  to  relieve  her  of  her  light  burden.  She 
paused  at  length  beneath  a  cluster  of  fig-trees,  which,  with  the 
tangled  vines  that  interlaced  their  boughs,  formed  a  com 
plete  arbor  at  the  entrance  of  the  village,  and,  waiting  an 
instant  for  her  companion's  approach,  pointed  to  a  little  foot 
bridge  just  beyond,  exclaiming,  "  Yonder  come  M.  Lapierre 
and  my  father." 

Meredith  glanced  in  the  direction  indicated,  and  at  once 
recognized  his  aged  friend,  accompanied  by  an  individual 
who,  although  he  made  no  claim  to  British  origin,  might 
well  have  been  mistaken  by  the  Englishman  for  one  of  his 
own  countrymen.  He  was  somewhat  beyond  middle  life, 
and  his  person,  though  below  the  medium  height,  was  ro 
bust  almost  to  corpulency  ;  still  his  step  was  elastic,  and 
his  every  movement  and  gesture  betokened  force  and  ner 
vous  energy.  He  wore  the  European  costume,  with  the 
exception  of  a  red  tarboosh,  which  sat  low  on  his  forehead, 
but  suffered  a  few  locks  of  iron-gray  hair  to  escape  and 
cluster  round  his  temples.  Nothing  could  exceed  the  good- 
humor  which  reigned  in  his  round,  florid  face.  It  was  one 


46  EL  FUEEIDIS. 

of  those  countenances  on  which  all  the  social  virtues  seem 
written.  One  felt  at  a  glance  that  here  was  a  man  who 
never  wore  a  mask ;  a  man  whose  frank,  confiding  nature 
revealed  itself  in  every  feature ;  a  man  whom  the  world 
might  disappoint,  but  could  never  sour,  —  whom  his  fellow- 
men  might  defraud,  deceive,  betray,  but  could  never  teach 
distrust. 

It  was  next  to  impossible  that  such  a  man  should  bestow 
other  than  a  cordial  greeting  even  upon  a  stranger. 

As  Havilah  approached,  a  few  steps  in  advance  of  Mer 
edith,  and  whispered  a  word  in  her  father's  ear,  he  pat 
ted  her  head  approvingly,  gave  an  expressive  nod,  then 
came  forward  with  both  hands  outstretched.  Every  friendly 
assurance,  every  pledge  of  future  hospitality,  were  conveyed 
in  the  warmth  with  which  he  now  saluted  the  Englishman, 
not  as  an  alien,  a  passing  tourist,  a  possible  intruder,  but 
as  his  own  acknowledged  and  honored,  though  hitherto  un 
known  guest. 

Meredith  was  surprised  out  of  his  habitual  reserve.  The 
customary  barriers,  whether  of  diffidence,  indifference,  or 
pride,  with  which  he  was  wont  to  protect  himself  from  social 
contact,  gave  way  before  the  heartiness  of  his  new  friend's 
words  and  manner,  and,  almost  to  his  own  astonishment,  he 
found  himself  responding  to  them  with  a  grateful  cordiality 
such  as  had  never  been  called  forth  by  the  vast  amount  of 
adulation  which  had  been  wasted  upon  him  from  his  boyhood. 

"  I  have  been  absent  in  Damascus  during  the  past  week," 
said  the  silk  manufacturer,  "  or  our  good  father  would  not 
so  long  have  enjoyed  exclusive  possession  of  his  guest.  It 
is  now  my  turn." 

"  You  have  wandered  too  far  on  the  mountains,  my  son," 
interposed  M.  Lapierre,  his  eye  resting  with  some  anxiety 
upon  his  patient ;  "  you  are  overwearied." 


EL  FUREIDIS.  47 

"  "We  have  all  done  our  day's  work,  I  suspect,"  said  Mere 
dith's  self-appointed  host ;  "  you  among  your  parishioners, 
M.  Lapierre,  I  among  my  work-people,  and  Mr. —  I  beg 
your  pardon,  sir  —  " 

"  Meredith." 

"  And  Mr.  Meredith  upon  the  mountains.  So  now  to 
dinner,  or  Mother  lanthe  will  be  impatient,  and  will  send 
her  little  Turkish  damsel  in  search  of  us." 

As  he  spoke,  he  drew  the  Englishman's  arm  within 
his,  and  they  took  their  way  through  the  mulberry  grove, 
in  the  direction  of  the  little  white  villa,  Meredith  cheerfully 
assenting  to  the  invitation,  but  looking  round  in  vain  for 
Havilah,  who  was  nowhere  to  be  seen.  Neither  her  father 
nor  M.  Lapierre,  however,  appeared  conscious  of  her  ab 
sence,  and  Meredith  forbore  making  any  comment  on  the 
sudden  disappearance  of  one  whose  rapid  movements  were 
evidently  as  independent  of  all  outward  restraint,  as  her 
manners  were  free  from  any  other  rules  of  etiquette  than 
those  imposed  by  her  own  native  grace  and  dignity. 


48  EL  FUREIDIS. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

THE  dwelling  of  the  silk-manufacturer  was  an  inex 
pensive  structure  of  white  limestone,  which,  with  its  adjacent 
offices,  occupied  no  less  than  four  artificial  terraces,  a  cir 
cumstance  that  imparted  singular  irregularity  to  the  minia 
ture  villa,  and  added  not  a  little  to  its  picturesque  effect. 

Although  a  favorable  slope  had  been  selected,  and  the 
terraces  were  of  a  breadth  unusual  in  the  Lebanon,  the 
level  surface  thus  afforded  was  inconsiderable,  the  platform 
on  which  the  main  building  rested  being  only  about  twenty 
feet  wide,  and  the  embankments  successively  diminishing 
in  the  direction  of  the  valley.  Inconvenient  as  such  a 
foundation  might  be  deemed  in  a  practical  point  of  view, 
nothing  could  exceed  the  advantages  it  afforded  in  respect 
to  pure  air,  sunshine,  and  mountain  scenery.  The  long, 
narrow  saloon  which  constituted  the  principal  apartment, 
and  which,  enclosed  on  three  sides  only,  lay  open  to  the 
prospect,  presented  in  itself  an  unrivalled  landscape  obser 
vatory.  The  little  wings,  including  one  room  each,  which 
stretched  from  it  at  right  angles,  though  at  a  less  elevation, 
commanded  the  same  wide  expanse  of  garden,  vineyard, 
and  plain ;  the  occupants  of  the  kitchen  and  laundry  were 
but  one  degree  less  favored  ;  and  even  the  rustic  stable- 
boy,  as  he  groomed  his  master's  horse,  which  was  lodged  on 
a  lower  terrace  still,  could  overlook  the  labors  of  the  Syrian 
ploughman  in  the  grain-fields  of  the  distant  Bekaa. 


EL   FUKEIDIS.  49 

The  exterior  of  the  manufacturer's  mansion,  like  that  of 
most  Eastern  houses,  was  severely  simple,  presenting  a 
bare  surface  of  wall,  nowhere  more  than  two  stories  in 
height,  and  its  monotony  occasionally  broken  by  a  latticed 
window,  introduced  without  the  slightest  regard  to  uniform 
ity.  The  care  and  taste,  however,  of  which  the  building 
was  outwardly  devoid,  had  been  freely  lavished  on  the 
inner  court-yard  and  its  surrounding  saloons  and  alcoves, 
which,  in  this  favored  climate,  constituted  the  reception 
rooms  and  chosen  retreats  of  the  household  during  the  warm 
hours  of  the  day.  Here  Nature  and  the  hand  of  man  had 
been  profuse  in  their  gifts  and  adornments.  The  little 
enclosure  was  a  garden  of  beauty  and  sweetness,  choicest 
exotics  and  rarest  shrubs  vying  with  the  native  products  of 
the  soil  in  the  richness  and  luxuriance  of  their  growth. 
The  rustic  archways  above  the  steps  conducting  from  one 
terrace  to  another  were  complete  arbors  of  clematis  and 
wild  woodbine,  and  the  slender  pillars  supporting  a  light 
veranda  which  ran  around  the  inner  wall  of  the  dwelling 
were  enwreathed  with  the  jessamine  and  the  rose. 

In  the  centre  of  the  garden,  embowered  amid  orange- 
trees  and  oleanders,  a  fountain  sent  up  its  graceful  jet, 
lulling  the  ear  with  the  continual  play  of  its  waters ;  birds 
of  every  hue  sported  among  blossoming  plants,  or  perched 
boldly  on  window-sills  and  within  door-ways,  now  and  then 
telling  the  story  of  their  happy,  protected  lives  in  a  gay 
burst  of  song.  Add  to  all  this  the  purity  of  the  summer 
air,  and  the  mingled  fragrance  continually  going  up  like  in 
cense,  and  it  may  well  be  believed  that  this  was  a  spot 
endowed  with  power  to  charm  all  the  senses  into  an  Elys- 
ian  repose. 

So  thought  Meredith,  as,  the  noonday  meal  being  passed, 
he  half  reclined  on  the  low,  silken  divan  that  stretched 


50  EL  FUREIDIS. 

around  the  open  alcove  where  the  table  had  been  spread, 
and  in  the  intervals  between  puffing  at  his  perfumed  nar- 
ghileh  looked  abroad  upon  the  entrancing  prospect,  and 
within  upon  the  scene  of  domestic  peace,  of  which  in  this 
strange  land  he  found  himself  a  partaker. 

The  host  and  his  guests  had  been  joined  at  dinner  by 
Havilah's  mother,  the  Mother  lanthe,  as  she  was  familiarly 
termed  by  the  primitive  people  of  the  region.  She  came 
leaning  on  the  arm  of  her  daughter,  and  wrapped  in  a  thick 
cashmere  shawl,  which  alone  indicated  the  extreme  delicacy 
of  a  constitution  that  could  not  endure  exposure  to  a  breeze 
so  gentle  as  that  which  pervaded  the  apartment.  One  need 
ed  to  bestow  but  a  moment's  glance  on  the  mother  to  see 
whence  the  mountain  girl  inherited  the  spiritual  expression 
which  at  times  imparted  such  holy  sweetness  to  her  face. 
Nothing  could  exceed  the  elevated,  the  almost  unearthly 
sanctity  which  marked  the  countenance,  the  manner,  and 
even  the  voice  of  the  slender,  shadow-like  woman,  the 
marble  pallor  of  whose  face  seemed  enhanced  by  the  bril 
liancy  of  her  dark,  lustrous  eyes,  and  whose  black,  wavy 
hair  drooped  over  her  sunken  cheek  as  if  it  were  a  mourn 
ing  badge,  a  token  of  the  decay  of  her  early  bloom.  There 
was  no  undue  claim  to  sympathy,  however,  no  affectation 
of  weakness  in  the  gentle,  hostess-like  manner  of  the  in 
valid,  who,  although  she  spoke  English  but  imperfectly, 
made  a  successful  use  of  her  knowledge  of  the  language  in 
welcoming  Meredith  under  her  roof,  accompanying  her 
broken  words  with  a  kindness  of  tone  and  earnestness  of 
gesture  which  left  little  for  the  tongue  to  express. 

She  sat  but  a  short  time  at  the  table,  ate  sparingly  of  the 
simplest  food,  partook  of  no  other  beverage  than  the  water 
of  her  favorite  spring,  and  soon  retired,  accompanied  by 
Havilah,  leaving  the  gentlemen  to  conclude  the  repast  at 
their  leisure. 


EL  FUREIDIS.  51 

They  lingered  awhile  over  the  variety  of  choice  fruits 
which  constituted  their  dessert ;  but  the  table  was  at  length 
removed,  pipes  were  brought,  and  Meredith,  following  his 
host's  example,  applied  himself,  for  the  first  time,  to  the  en 
joyment  of  the  narghileh,  M.  Lapierre,  who  declined  the 
use  of  this  Eastern  luxury,  engaging  Avith  none  the  less  zest 
in  the  conversation  which  it  favored,  and  which  now  flowed 
in  as  easy  and  steady  a  current  as  the  light  streams  of 
smoke  which  went  curling  upward. 

The  countenance  of  the  middle-aged  man  of  the  trio 
would  at  this  moment  have  soothed  the  misanthrope,  and 
furnished  a  rebuke  to  the  sceptic  in  the  benevolent  traits 
of  humanity.  Men  accustomed  to  mingle  in  crowded  cir 
cles,  to  jostle  against  their  equals  at  every  turn,  to  feel 
ofttimes  disgust  and  weariness  at  the  daily  requisitions  of 
social  life,  can  form  but  a  feeble  conception  of  the  almost 
rapturous  joy  with  which  an  individual  to  a  great  degree 
exiled  from  his  fellows  hails  the  stranger,  the  traveller,  or 
the  pilgrim,  who  becomes  for  the  time  a  link  between  him 
and  the  great  world  from  which  he  is  shut  out.  To  the  silk- 
manufacturer,  laboring  in  his  little  sphere,  the  arrival  of  the 
Englishman,  his  illness,  and  consequent  detention  in  El  Fu- 
reidis,  so  far  from  being  matters  of  indifference,  were  subjects 
of  deep  personal  interest  and  excitement ;  and  now,  to  see 
the  invalid  restored,  to  Avelcome  him  under  the  hospitable 
roof,  to  share  with  him  in  friendly  converse,  and  glean  from 
his  lips  tidings  of  the  civilized  races  which  he  represented, 
were  to  the  honest  host  all-sufficient  causes  of  congratulation 
and  thanksgiving.  Thus  his  ruddy  face  glowed  with  no 
common  satisfaction  and  pleasure,  as,  leaning  back  on  his 
cushioned  divan,  and  enveloped  in  a  thick  cloud  of  smoke, 
he  discussed  with  Meredith  various  questions  of  European 
life  and  politics,  or,  voluntarily  relinquishing  the  field  to  his 


52  EL  FUREIDIS. 

aged  friend,  listened  to  the  animated  dialogues  of  M.  La- 
pierre  and  the  Englishman,  with  that  unqualified  and  genu 
ine  attention  observable  only  in  the  unselfish  and  simple- 
hearted. 

They  were  no  ordinary  men  with  whom,  in  this  remote 
corner  of  creation,  Meredith  had,  by  a  singular  combination 
of  circumstances,  been  brought  into  familar  relations. 

A  brief  acquaintance  with  the  venerable  missionary 
would  have  sufficed  to  indicate,  even  to  the  most  careless 
observer,  that  behind  his  present  life  of  humble  labor  and 
patient  self-sacrifice  there  lay  a  long  and  varied  experience, 
rich  in  learning,  research,  incident,  and  travel,  possibly  in 
romance,  adventure,  and  those  struggles  of  the  heart  which 
not  infrequently  give  a  coloring  to  the  after  career.  What 
ever  might  have  been  the  outward  vicissitudes  of  his  lot,  — 
and  his  thorough  and  widely  extended  knowledge  of  the 
world  proved  them  to  have  been  manifold,  —  whatever 
might  have  been  his  inward  warfare,  —  and  the  depth  of  his 
human  sympathies  proclaimed  it  to  have  been  keen  and 
strong,  —  this  much  only  was  known  of  him  with  certainty. 

Born  of  French  parentage,  and  trained  in  the  best  schools 
of  erudition,  he  had  early  attained  such  masterly  scholar 
ship  and  developed  such  mental  resources  as  promised  that 
he  would  one  day  hold  a  brilliant  position  in  the  learned 
and  scientific  world.  At  the  very  point,  however,  when 
earthly  success  held  out  its  most  tempting  allurements,  he 
had,  actuated  by  some  strange  and  unaccountable  impulse, 
thrown  himself  into  the  arms  of  the  ancient  Church  in  whose 
tenets  he  had  been  educated,  and,  devoting  the  treasures  of 
his  intellect  and  the  powers  of  his  ardent  nature  to  the  ser 
vice  of  that  religious  order  over  whose  superstition  and 
bigotry  charity  draws  the  veil  of  a  loving  admiration  for  its 
self-sacrificing  zeal,  he  had  set  forth  to  preach  the  cross. 


EL  FUREIDIS.  53 

We  may  not  tell  how  much  of  human  passion,  of  disap 
pointed  hope,  of  wild  desperation,  mingled  with  diviner  and 
more  sanctified  emotions  in  fostering  his  ardor  for  that  cru 
sade  which  commissioned  him  not  alone  as  the  Christian 
soldier,  but  as  the  bold  voyager,  the  undaunted  adventurer, 
the  skilful  pioneer  of  civilization  and  discovery ;  nor  may 
we  tell  when  or  how,  amid  what  Kamtschatkan  snows,  or 
under  what  African  suns,  the  man  who  was  wrestling  for 
God  and  truth  found  the  first  ray  of  peace  to  his  own  soul. 
It  is  enough  that  light  shone  at  last  upon  his  mental  vision, 
that  with  its  earliest  dawn  he  threw  off  the  ecclesiastical 
shackles  by  which  he  had  hitherto  been  bound,  and  that, 
receiving  the  Gospel  like  a  little  child,  he  acknowledged 
Christ  as  his  only  master,  and  all  men  as  brethren.  Then 
it  was  that  he  turned  his  pilgrim  feet  to  the  sacred  soil  of 
Palestine,  chose  out  his  little  field  of  labor,  and,  under  the 
seal  of  a  new  commission,  proclaimed  a  pure  and  simple 
faith  on  the  hill-tops  and  in  the  valleys  of  that  goodly  moun 
tain,  Lebanon. 

He  was  a  rare  and  noble  object,  that  vigorous  old  man. 
The  fire  of  his  eagle  eye,  which  had  once  glowed  with  all  the 
vehemence  of  an  ambitious  youth,  was  subdued,  not  quenched, 
by  the  gentle  influences  of  a  holy  and  chastened  old  age. 
The  lofty  brow,  once  marked  by  the  storms  of  life  and  fur 
rowed  by  its  cares,  had  long  since  been  smoothed  by  the 
gentle  hand  of  patience,  and  had  become  the  placid  seat  of 
elevated  thoughts  and  purposes  all  divine.  The  features, 
once  regular  and  fair,  had  gained  in  benignity  what  they 
had  lost  in  symmetry  of  outline,  and,  shaded  as  they  were  by 
the  long,  white  beard,  reminded  one  of  the  mellow  beauty  of 
autumn,  dimly  discerned  amid  winter's  snows.  His  iron 
frame,  too,  how  grand  and  imposing  it  was !  his  step  how 
firm  and  elastic!  his  senses  how  quick  and  discriminating! 
5* 


54  EL  FUEEIDIS. 

—  all  telling  of  a  sound  original  constitution,  which  hardship 
and  exposure  had  but  served  to  confirm  and  invigorate. 
He  must  have  been  an  awe-inspiring  man  once,  before  hu 
mility  cast  her  mantle  over  his  earth-born  pride  ;  but  now, 
fear  gave  place  to  love  in  the  presence  of  one  whose  phys 
ical  power,  whose  mental  energy,  whose  intellectual  great 
ness,  were  all  softened  and  sanctified  by  a  childlike  simplicity 
of  spirit. 

A  greater  contrast,  and  yet  a  more  perfect  harmony,  could 
scarcely  be  conceived  than  were  exhibited  by  this  venerable 
shepherd  of  souls,  and  the  active,  enterprising  head  of  tem 
poral  labors  and  secular  interests  at  El  Fureidis.  The  one 
had  earned  a  calm  repose  as  the  meed  of  his  life-struggle ; 
the  other  enjoyed  the  cheerful  contentedness  of  a  nature  to 
which  life  had  scarcely  been  a  struggle  at  all.  The  one  had 
fought  his  Avay  through  youth  and  manhood,  to  win  in  his 
ripe  old  age  the  simple  faith  of  a  child.  The  other  had  not 
reached  middle  life  without  his  share  of  human  vicissitudes  ; 
but  they  left  him,  as  they  found  him,  ahvays  a  child,  —  a 
child  in  light-hearted  good-humor,  in  ignorance  of  the  world, 
in  unquestioning  credulity,  in  all  the  unsophisticated  qual 
ities  of  a  genial,  confiding  disposition. 

This  Augustine  Trefoil,  the  silk -manufacturer,  was  a  happy 
man.  A  less  buoyant  nature  than  his  would  have  sunk  be 
neath  half  the  load  of  misfortunes  which  had  fallen  to  his 
lot ;  but  what  would  have  been  ruin  to  another  man  was 
to  him  but  the  spur  to  fresh  enterprise  and  renewed  ac 
tivity. 

Born  of  American  parents,  amid  the  mountainous  districts 
of  New  England,  he  had  been  endowed,  both  by  inher 
itance  and  by  early  training,  with  a  hardy  constitution, 
cheerful  temperament,  quick  perceptions,  and  especially 
that  indomitable  perseverance  and  energy  which  are  such 


EL   FUREIDIS.  55 

marked  traits  in  the  American  character.  All  these  quali 
ties  were  early  brought  into  action  from  the  circumstance 
that,  when  Augustine  was  yet  a  boy,  his  father  (a  man  of 
restless  spirit)  obtained  an  Eastern  consulship,  took  his  son 
abroad  with  him,  and,  dying  soon  after,  left  the  youth  to  his 
own  guidance  and  resources.  His  mother  and  two  little 
sisters  had  been  buried  years  before  beneath  the  New  Eng 
land  sod,  and  the  boy  possessed  no  relatives  to  whom  he 
was  in  any  degree  responsible.  His  habit  of  life  had 
already  rendered  him  a  cosmopolite.  Domesticated,  how 
ever,  in  a  French  household,  and  received,  soon  after  his 
father's  death,  into  a  French  commercial  establishment, 
circumstances  and  his  perfect  use  of  the  Gallic  tongue 
occasioned  him  to  be  so  identified  with  France  and  her 
interests,  that  his  true  descent  was  well-nigh  forgotten, 
and  on  reaching  manhood  he  was  invariably  styled  "  Mon 
sieur." 

It  was  astonishing  how  rapidly,  despite  his  youth,  this 
Franco-American  commenced  mingling  among  men,  how 
quickly  he  contrived  to  form  projects,  plan  commercial  alli 
ances,  and  invest  his  little  patrimony  in  speculations  that 
promised  quick  returns.  It  was  less  astonishing,  all  things 
considered,  that  he  should  have  been  again  and  again  de 
ceived  by  those  whom  he  trusted,  that  his  projects  should, 
one  after  another,  have  failed,  and  his  capital  been  squan 
dered. 

But  Augustine  was  not  discouraged.  New  schemes  arose 
upon  the  ruins  of  the  old ;  partial  success  at  times  attended 
them ;  but  for  the  most  part  they  were  built  upon  some  im 
practicable  basis,  and  ended  in  failure.  Thus  years  were 
spent  in  the  vain  endeavor  to  realize  the  wealth  which  con 
stantly  dawned  before  the  mental  vision  first  of  the  boy  and 
then  of  the  man,  but  as  constantly  eluded  his  grasp. 


56  EL  FUEEIDIS. 

Precisely  at  the  point  when  his  fortunes  were  at  their 
lowest  ebb,  his  honest  heart,  which  through  many  long  years 
had  found  no  object  on  which  to  lavish  its  wealth  of  affec 
tion,  became  fixed  upon  lanthe,  the  beautiful  daughter  of  a 
Greek  merchant,  resident  at  Smyrna.  With  his  usual  im 
providence,  he  hesitated  not  to  urge  his  suit,  though  its 
object  was  one  of  a  numerous  and  unportioned  family,  and 
he  was  ignorant  of  his  own  next  stepping-stone  towards 
wealth.  Here  the  man  of  many  disappointments  was  singu 
larly  successful ;  and  lanthe,  young,  confiding,  and  warmly 
reciprocating  his  attachment,  hesitated  not  to  unite  her  des 
tiny  with  his,  and  share  his  uncertain  lot. 

Augustine  had  other  warrant  beside  that  of  Scripture 
for  believing  that  in  Havilah  "  there  is  gold  ;  and  the  gold 
of  that  land  is  good."  Thither  he  went  with  his  young 
bride,  once  more  to  waste  his  energies  in  vain  toil,  and 
see  his  airy  visions  gradually  melt  into  nothingness.  The 
only  treasure  which  the  husband  and  wife  brought  back 
from  the  Indian  soil  whence  they  had  hoped  to  reap  a 
pleantiful  harvest  was  an  infant  daughter,  a  pure  gem 
of  beauty  and  promise.  In  their  eyes,  she  was  more 
precious  than  all  the  silver  and  gold  hid  within  the  mines 
of  Havilah :  they  gratefully  gave  her  the  name  of  the  land, 
and,  rejoicing  in  this  gift  of  Heaven,  lamented  not  the 
lesser  gifts  which  earth  had  denied  them. 

It  was  the  failure  in  lanthe's  health  which  directed  their 
steps  towards  Lebanon,  that  favored  region,  the  unutterable 
perfection  of  whose  climate  gives  promise  of  restoration 
to  the  invalid  who  would  perish  beneath  less  gentle  and 
life-giving  breezes.  Here,  attentively  watching  the  peas 
ants  at  their  toil,  the  ingenious  and  enterprising  mind  of 
Augustine  saw  how  easily,  by  the  aid  of  modern  invention 
and  a  limited  capital,  machinery  might  be  substituted  for 


EL  FUREIDIS.  57 

hand-labor,  and  the  originator  of  the  scheme  be  placed 
at  once  on  the  road  to  fortune. 

lanthe  trembled  when  she  saw  him,  in  pursuance  of  this 
idea,  unhesitatingly  seeking  loans  at  the  hands  of  severe 
and  uncompromising  usurers,  laying  himself  under  obli 
gations  which  could  only  be  cancelled  by  an  almost  incred 
ible  success.  This  time,  however,  his  sagacity  was  not 
at  fault,  and  the  boldness  of  his  undertaking  was  justified 
by  the  event. 

It  might  have  been  that  years  had  matured  his  judgment 
and  given  stability  to  his  plans.  It  might  have  been  that  the 
wife,  wise  in  counsel  and  taught  by  experience,  proved  an 
efficient  check  upon  his  impetuosity,  and  that  her  mild  per 
suasions  were  more  effective  in  overcoming  the  opposition 
he  met  with  from  the  ignorant  peasantry,  than  all  the  influ 
ence  exercised  by  his  own  energetic  proceedings. 

Whichever  may  have  been  the  prominent  cause,  or 
whether  it  wepe  through  the  combination  of  them  all,  a 
hitherto  unknown  success  attended  him  at  every  step;  his 
prosperity  seemed  secure.  El  Fureidis,  now  become  his  per 
manent  home,  was  rescued  from  poverty  and  degradation, 
and  its  grateful  inhabitants  acknowledged  the  silk-manufac 
turer  as  their  benefactor,  protector,  and  friend. 

It  was  less  than  a  year  subsequent  to  Trefoil's  settlement 
in  El  Fureidis  that  the  missionary  zeal  of  M.  Lapierre  led 
him  to  the  same  locality,  and  the  labors  of  both  had  been 
not  a  little  lightened  from  the  circumstance  that  henceforth 
civilization  and  religion  had  gone  hand  in  hand.  The  old 
man  and  lanthe  were  already  one  in  Christ  Jesus,  and  if  M. 
Trefoil  himself  was  less  bound  by  this  tie  of  sympathy,  he 
was  a  no  less  willing  co-operator  with  them  in  every  scheme 
of  benevolence.  His  influence  (and  it  was  not  small)  had 
more  than  once  warded  off  the  shafts  which  superstition  had 


58  EL  FUREIDIS. 

aimed  at  the  venerable  preacher  of  a  liberal  faith.  The 
layman  had  manfully  stood  by  the  pastor  when  opposition 
had  developed  into  persecution  and  threats  had  ripened  into 
danger,  and  the  friendship  which  had  arisen  in  times  of 
trial  to  both  had  long  since  been  cemented  and  confirmed 
by  mutual  services  and  association  in  a  common  cause. 

Thus  isolated  from  the  world  at  large,  breasting  together 
the  tide  of  ignorance  and  prejudice,  laboring,  the  one  for 
earthly  rewards,  the  other  for  heavenly  harvests,  but  alike 
promoting  human  welfare,  it  was  not  strange  that  the  indi 
vidual  interests  of  these  two  men  were  merged  in  the  com 
mon  good ;  that  their  differences  of  character  and  pursuit 
were  harmoniously  blended  ;  that  the  influence,  the  wealth, 
the  domestic  hearth  of  the  one  were  at  the  other's  disposal ; 
and  that  the  stranger  from  a  distant  land  was  hailed  as  the 
welcome  guest  of  both. 

A  single  interview  with  his  new  friends  sufficed  to  make 
Meredith  acquainted  with  much  of  what  has  been  narrated 
above ;  for  M.  Trefoil  made  no  concealment  of  anything  which 
concerned  himself,  and  M.  Lapierre  touched  upon  such  a  va 
riety  of  topics  as  indicated  the  nature  and  extent  of  his  own 
experiences.  The  conversation,  which  had  at  first  been 
general,  became  at  length  limited  to  the  missionary  and  the 
Englishman.  They  talked  long  together,  with  mutual  and 
unflagging  interest.  Then  there  was  a  pause.  Meredith 
glanced  in  the  direction  of  his  host,  and  saw  that  the  pipe 
had  dropped  from  his  mouth,  —  he  had  sunk  back  upon  the 
cushions  of  his  divan,  and  was  lost  in  a  deep  slumber. 

"  Follow  his  example,  my  son,"  said  M.  Lapierre,  rising 
with  a  smile,  and  taking  up  his  stout  staff.  "  You  will  be 
refreshed  by  an  hour  or  two  of  sleep.  No  one  will  come 
hither  to  disturb  you,  for  I  have  a  distant  excursion  to  make 
across  the  mountains,  and  all  the  household,  including  every 


EL  FUREIDIS.  59 

servant  in  yonder  western  wing,  are  now,  I  doubt  not,  en 
joying  their  siesta." 

The  old  man  walked  away  as  he  finished  speaking,  and, 
in  obedience  to  his  counsel,  Meredith  laid  himself  down  and 
slept,  —  dreamed  that  he  was  in  Paradise,  and  awoke  to  be 
lieve  that  his  dream  was  true.  He  was  alone  in  the  open 
saloon,  and  it  was  nearly  sunset.  Long  rays  of  golden  light 
swept  across  the  garden.  The  fountain  was  sparkling  like 
topaz  in  its  beams ;  but  the  shadows  of  nightfall  obscured 
the  leafy  recesses,  and  the  moisture  of  the  evening  dew 
filled  the  air  with  that  intoxicating  sweetness  never  known 
but  in  Lebanon.  All  was  quiet;  no  one  seemed  to  be  stirring 
within  or  around  the  house  ;  and,  almost  awed  by  the  utter 
stillness,  Meredith  passed  through  the  enclosure  and  entered 
the  mulberry  grove.  He  was  met  by  M.  Trefoil,  returning 
from  an  afternoon  visit  to  his  factory. 

"  You  have  had  a  rest  proportioned  to  your  morning 
tramp  upon  the  mountains,"  said  the  good-humored  host, 
with  the  cheery  laugh  which  gave  a  winning  expression  to 
his  face.  "  Come  with  me  now  to  the  house-top,  and  tell 
me  if  anything  can  be  more  glorious  than  a  sunset  on  Leb 
anon." 

"  You  may  well  defy  the  world  to  produce  a  grander  or 
lovelier  scene,"  said  Meredith,  as,  standing  beside  M.  Tre 
foil  on  the  flat  roof,  he  looked  forth  upon  the  prospect.  The 
sun  had  just  reached  the  tops  of  the  higher  range  of  moun 
tains,  which  enclosed  the  glen  like  an  amphitheatre,  and 
their  bare  limestone  crests  shone  like  silver  crowns,  while 
their  misty  slopes  reflected  a  brilliant  orange,  and  the  deeper 
valleys  and  ravines  glowed  in  a  rich  robing  of  purple  light. 
Here  and  there  in  the  distance  gleamed  the  white  villages 
which  dotted  the  mountain-sides.  Far  below,  in  the  fruitful 
plain  of  the  Bekaa,  the  golden  wheat  laughed  in  the  west- 


60  EL  FUREIDIS. 

ern  sunlight,  and,  overtopping  El  Fureidis  itself,  the  glazed 
windows  and  glittering  spire  of  the  little  church  gleamed 
like  "  a  beacon  set  upon  a  hill."  Creeping  down  the  steep 
declivities  leading  to  the  valley  might  be  seen  long  lines  of 
sheep  and  goats,  which  the  herdsmen  were  conducting  to 
their  folds ;  peasant-women  were  singing  as  they  returned 
homeward  with  milk-pails  on  their  heads,  and  the  weary 
husbandmen  were  toiling  up  from  the  plain,  each  driving 
before  him  his  panting  oxen,  which,  like  their  masters,  were 
rejoicing  in  the  day's  work  done.  It  was  a  beautiful  scene 
of  rural  content  and  peace,  and  Meredith  and  his  host  stood 
watching  it  in  silent  satisfaction,  till  the  darkness  which  so 
quickly  succeeds  an  Eastern  twilight  came  on  and  wrapped 
the  whole  land  in  shadow. 

They  then  seated  themselves  near  the  parapet  on  which 
they  had  been  leaning,  and  the  Englishman  listened  while 
M.  Trefoil  descanted  on  the  charms  of  this  Syrian  land, 
and  the  varied  interest  which  it  offered  to  the  traveller. 

Meredith  interrupted  him  once,  with  an  involuntary 
"  Hark  !  "  at  the  same  time  stretching  his  head  forward  to 
listen,  as  the  sound  of  a  little  stringed  instrument  reached 
his  ear,  accompanied  by  a  sweet,  musical  voice ;  but  the 
sole  response  which  his  emphatic  exclamation  and  move 
ment  called  forth  was  a  momentary  pause,  and  the  careless 
observation,  "  It  is  only  the  child  singing  an  evening  hymn 
to  her  mother ; "  —  after  which  M.  Trefoil  continued  his  dis 
course,  quite  unobservant  of  his  auditor's  abstraction,  which 
continued  as  long  as  the  music  lasted. 

At  nine  o'clock  they  were  joined  by  M.  Lapierre,  who 
had  returned  from  his  pastoral  duties  ;  and  soon  after  Havi- 
lah  brought  coffee  and  biscuits,  which  she  served  gracefully 
with  her  own  hands,  and  then  withdrew.  A  little  later,  she 
once  more  glided  up  the  staircase,  seated  herself  on  a  low 


EL  FUREIDIS.  61 

stool  at  her  father's  feet,  and,  stroking  the  head  of  her  little 
gazelle,  listened  attentively  to  the  animated  conversation,  in 
which  she  took  no  part,  her  white  robes  (for  her  evening 
dress  was  always  white)  glittering  in  the  light  of  the  now 
risen  moon,  and  her  large  eyes  beaming  with  vivid  intelli 
gence  as  she  turned  them  upon  each  speaker  in  succession. 
She  stayed  but  a  short  time,  however,  then  disappeared, 
speechless  and  noiseless  as  she  had  come,  and  was  seen  no 
more  that  night. 

The  little  village  had  been  wrapped  in  slumber  several 
hours  when  M.  Lapierre  made  a  movement  to  depart. 
Meredith  rose  to  accompany  him,  and  then  learned,  with  no 
little  surprise,  that  M.  Trefoil  had  constituted  himself  his 
new  friend's  host,  not  for  a  day  only,  but  for  the  remainder 
of  the  young  man's  stay  in  El  Fureidis ;  that,  without  even 
the  ceremony  of  asking  his  consent,  a  room  had  been  al 
lotted  him  at  the  villa,  his  portmanteau  and  saddle-bags  had 
been  transferred  thither ;  and  that  any  hesitation  to  accept 
this  hospitality  would  not  only  cause  a  serious  disappoint 
ment,  but  be  viewed,  under  the  circumstances,  as  a  positive 
breach  of  etiquette. 

M.  Lapierre  was  therefore  suffered  to  depart  alone,  and, 
although  it  would  have  been  inconsistent  with  Meredith's 
character  not  to  experience  a  slight  shade  of  annoyance  at 
this  impromptu  change  of  quarters,  he  was  consoled  by  the 
reflection  that  M.  Lapierre  would  now  be  reinstalled  in  the 
humble  comforts  of  which,  for  some  weeks  past,  his  guest 
had  involuntarily  deprived  him. 


62  EL  FUREIDIS. 


CHAPTER   VII. 

BORN  beneath  an  Indian  sun,  but  with  the  fresh  life  of 
the  West  glowing  in  her  veins,  Havilah  was  at  once  the  im 
aginative,  impassioned  child  of  the  Orient,  and  the  active, 
intelligent  representative  of  a  race  as  diverse  to  the  Asiatic 
type  as  is  the  point  of  the  sun's  rising  to  that  of  his  going 
down.  Abroad  upon  the  mountains,  in  the  cottages  of  the 
peasantry,  or  in  the  mission  school,  she  emulated  her  father 
in  rapidity  of  thought  and  nervous  energy  of  will ;  at  home, 
the  meditative  repose,  the  gentle  grace,  the  intense  sensibil 
ity,  of  the  maternal  character  were  reflected  in  that  of  the 
child.  In  her  outer  life  she  was  light  and  free  as  the  bird 
of  the  air,  but  within,  the  hidden  current  of  her  young  be 
ing  possessed  a  strange,  mysterious  depth,  which  none  might 
fathom.  In  this  young  nature,  existence  might  be  said  to 
be  twofold,  —  the  life  of  reality  and  the  life  of  thought,  the 
actual  and  the  ideal. 

The  early  surroundings  of  Havilah's  singular  lot  had  not 
a  little  favored  this  double  development  of  character.  In 
the  domain  of  the  village,  where  M.  Trefoil  was  carrying 
forward  the  work  of  improvement  and  reform,  unwearied 
activity  and  systematic  labor  were  the  watchwords  of  suc 
cess.  In  the  sphere  of  domestic  influence,  however,  there 
prevailed  that  undisturbed  quiet,  that  serene  atmosphere, 
that  luxurious  sense  of  repose,  which  is  peculiar  to  Eastern 
households,  and  which  lanthe  especially  loved. 


EL  FUREIDIS.  63 

Thus  from  childhood  Havilah's  experience  had  alternated 
between  scenes  of  energetic  usefulness  and  hours  of  un 
broken  privacy,  —  the  one  giving  play  to  all  her  active  pow 
ers,  the  other  favoring  in  a  like  degree  reflection,  study,  and 
self-communing.  Those  then  who  had  seen  her  in  gay  at 
tire,  bounding  lightly  across  the  mountain  passes,  chatting 
with  the  village  matrons,  or  playing  with  the  childish  throng 
that  attended  on  her  steps,  would  scarcely  have  recognized 
her  fairy  form  in  the  pensive  figure  which  half  sat,  half 
reclined  amid  a  heap  of  cushions  within  a  latticed  window 
of  her  father's  villa,  and,  with  her  head  resting  on  her  hand, 
gazed  abstractedly  upon  the  prospect,  or  lost  herself  in  the 
attentive  perusal  of  one  among  the  many  books  which  lay 
scattered  around  her. 

Not  such  books  are  they  as  those  with  which  a  Western 
belle  is  wont  to  beguile  an  idle  hour.  Near  at  hand,  and 
still  open,  as  if  reference  had  lately  been  made  to  its  pages, 
is  the  most  precious  of  all,  —  a  large  Greek  Bible,  bound  in 
heavy  vellum,  with  massive  gold  clasps  and  richly  illumi 
nated  margins ;  on  her  lap  is  a  time-worn  volume  containing 
the  life  of  one  of  the  early  Christian  fathers ;  or,  perhaps, 
a  curious  old  Syriac  manuscript  holds  the  prominent  place ; 
or,  perchance,  it  is  a  French  scientific  work,  by  aid  of 
which  she  is  learning  to  classify  a  newly  discovered  min 
eral  or  flower ;  or,  more  probably  still,  her  eager  gaze  is  fixed 
and  her  whole  mind  bent  on  one  of  those  rare  treasures 
which  she  dearly  loves  to  ponder,  filled  with  wild  Eastern 
legend  and  strange  Arabic  lore,  its  figurative  language  and 
rapt  illustration  chiming  with  and  warming  her  own  vivid 
fancies.  Whatever  may  be  the  theme,  she  draws  from  it 
only  elevated  thought  and  pure  instruction,  if  one  may  judge 
from  the  earnest  glow  of  feeling  which  overspreads  her  face 
as  she  reads,  and  the  aspiration  with  which  she  at  length 


64  EL  FUREIDIS. 

lifts  her  eyes  from  the  book,  and  communes  awhile  with  her 
own  thoughts. 

From  such  a  reverie  she  is  roused  by  the  sudden  starting 
up  of  the  gazelle  at  her  feet,  and  by  the  approach  of  the 
little  handmaiden  Geita,  who,  with  a  word,  a  smile,  and  a 
motion  of  her  hand  towards  the  outer  alcove,  whence  she 
has  come,  at  once  dispels  the  train  of  meditation  in  which 
her  young  mistress  is  indulging. 

It  could  have  been  no  unwelcome  summons  which  Geita 
brought,  for  Ayib,  by  some  quick  instinct  comprehending  its 
import,  speeds  away  in  the  direction  indicated,  in  advance 
of  his  mistress,  and  a  pleasurable  smile  succeeds  the  pensive 
expression  of  Havilah's  face  as  she  rises  hastily  from  her 
cushions,  stoops  to  pick  up  the  heavy  golden  arrow  which 
has  dropped  from  her  hair,  binds  up  with  it  the  long  braided 
bands  which  hang  around  her  shoulders,  then  slips  her  feet 
into  the  little  silken  slippers  which  stand  side  by  side  on  the 
Turcoman  carpet,  and,  having  thus  adjusted  her  toilet  without 
the  aid  of  a  mirror,  hastens  to  the  principal  saloon  or  alcove, 
which  constitutes  the  reception-room  of  the  family. 

In  accordance  with  invariable  custom  in  the  East,  this 
saloon,  the  same  in  which  Meredith  had  dined  a  few  days 
before,  was  enclosed  on  three  sides  only,  the  fourth  pre 
senting  an  open  archway,  leading  directly  to  the  garden. 
The  apartment  consisted  of  an  upper  and  lower  platform, 
the  former  richly  carpeted  and  encircled  by  a  divan,  the 
latter  paved  with  marble,  and  embellished  with  a  rippling 
fountain.  A  couple  of  steps  served  to  connect  these  two 
divisions  of  the  alcove,  and  at  the  moment  when  Havilah 
entered,  the  guest,  who  had  come  to  crave  an  audience, 
stood  on  the  lower  stair,  pride  forbidding  him  to  take  his 
place  on  the  platform  reserved  for  visitors  of  inferior  rank, 
—  modesty  excluding  him  from  a  position  parallel  with  the 


EL  FUREIDIS.  65 

daughter  of  the  house.  It  was  Abdoul,  a  prince  in  his  na 
tive  desert,  but  the  humble  vassal  of  her  to  whom  he  paid 
an  almost  worshipping  homage. 

Most  kind  and  encouraging  was  her  reception  of  the 
sheik's  son,  whom  Ayib  was  already  acknowledging  by 
stretching  out  his  graceful  head  for  the  youth's  caress. 
"  You  have  come  at  last,  Abdoul,"  she  exclaimed,  holding 
out  her  hand,  over  which  the  Arab  boy  bowed  low,  with 
out  presuming  to  touch  it.  "I  feared  you  had  forgotten 
Havilah." 

"  When  the  night-wanderer  on  the  mountains  forgets  to 
watch  for  the  morning  star,  then  will  Abdoul  forget  Havi 
lah,"  was  the  grave  reply,  spoken  in  a  tone  of  mingled 
sweetness  and  reproach. 

"  Then  why  have  you  stayed  away  so  long  ?  Ayib  and  I 
have  sought  in  vain  for  the  eagle's  nest  on  the  mountain,  and 
the  white  asphodels  and  blue-eyed  campanulas  have  faded 
long  ago  in  my  mother's  china  vase.  Can  Abdoul  have 
learned  to  feel  himself  a  stranger  in  the  Mother  lanthe's 
home  ?  Can  he  doubt  that  Havilah  is  his  friend  ?  " 

"  The  child  of  the  free  air  has  longed  to  pursue  the 
mountain  birds,  and  gather  the  flowers  that  grow  on  the 
topmost  crags.  He  has  thought  in  the  lonely  night  of  the 
orange-trees  beside  the  fountain,  and  his  soul  has  pined  for 
the  touch  of  the  healing  hand.  Does  Havilah  remember 
the  day  when  the  vile  Turk  struck  the  Arab  boy  to  the 
ground,  and  they  brought  him  bleeding  hither  ?  "  The  fire 
of  mingled  emotions  flashed  in  the  Ishmaelite's  eye  as  he 
thus  spoke,  and,  flinging  black  the  sleeve  of  his  embroidered 
jacket,  he  displayed  a  scar  which  stretched  from  his  elbow 
to  his  wrist,  gazed  at  it  a  moment,  then,  changing  from  a 
tone  of  wild  excitement  to  a  gentle  and  subdued  utterance, 
said  eloquently,  at  the  same  time  gazing  with  grateful 
6*  E 


66  EL  FUREIDIS. 

tenderness  in  Havilah's  face :  "  Yes,  the  wound  was  deep, 
and  its  healing  slow ;  but  the  arm  should  be  gladly  bared 
once  more  to  the  sabre,  if  the  boy  might  call  back  the  long, 
sunny  days  when  lanthe  poured  balm  on  his  wound,  and  his 
heart  was  comforted,  and  the  rose  of  Lebanon  smiled  on 
him,  and  he  felt  no  pain." 

"  Those  were  happy  days,"  said  Havilah,  "  when  lanthe's 
little  daughter  found  a  pleasant  playmate  in  Sheik  Zana- 
deen's  son.  But  he  has  become  a  man  since  then ;  he  rides 
proudly  upon  his  white  mare,  and  hunts  with  his  good 
falcon.  lanthe's  garden  is  not  broad  enough  for  him  now 
that  he  has  spread  his  wings,  else  why  comes  he  not 
hither?" 

"  Sheik  Zanadeen's  son  has  not  been  his  own  master," 
replied  the  youth;  "he  has  been  in  the  service  of  the 
Frank ;  and  whom  Abdoul  serves,  he  serves.  He  comes 
now  to  say  farewell.  To-morrow  he  departs  for  the 
desert.  Will  Havilah  think,  when  he  is  far  away,  of  him 
who  is  unworthy  to  kiss  the  soil  on  which  she  treads  ?  " 

"  Havilah  will  not  forget  to  pray  to  her  God  for  the 
playmate  of  her  childhood,  when  he  is  guiding  the  English 
man  through  distant  lands." 

"  The  Englishman  remains  in  El  Fureidis,"  said  the 
Arab,  slowly,  and  with  emphasis,  at  the  same  time  fixing  on 
Havilah  an  eye  whose  keenness  scanned  every  line  of  her 
countenance. 

Apparently  it  satisfied  him,  for  the  scrutinizing  frown 
passed  away  from  his  face  when  she  replied,  with  apparent 
indifference,  to  his  announcement :  "  Why,  then,  hastens 
Abdoul  hence?" 

"  To  pursue  the  desert  winds,  to  chase  the  fleet  gazelle, 
to  spur  the  Khadhere  across  the  soft  sands  which  are  as 
cushions  to  her  feet.  Abdoul  has  been  absent  too  long. 


EL  FUREIDIS.  67 

The  old  man  sits  in  the  door  of  his  tent  and  longs  for 
his  son's  embrace.  In  the  morning  he  says,  'Inshallah! 
but  he  will  come  to-day ; '  in  the  evening  he  sighs,  ( Allah ! 
alas !  why  comes  he  not  ? '  The  arrow  of  the  desert  hears 
the  sigh  which  comes  to  him  on  the  night  breeze,  and  he 
must  speed  him  from  the  bow." 

"  May  the  blessing  of  Heaven  go  with  you ! "  said  Ha- 
vilah  with  feeling.  "May  you  find  Sheik  Zanadeen  and 
your  little  brothers  well ;  may  your  coming  bring  joy  to  the 
old  chief's  heart ;  and  when  his  eyes  are  satisfied  with  the 
presence  of  his  son,  may  some  kind  errand  send  you  once 
more  to  El  Fureidis." 

The  youth  bowed  low,  touching  his  head,  lips,  and  heart, 
in  the  same  expressive  and  dignified  manner  that  had 
marked  his  demeanor  more  than  once  during  the  interview, 
then  answered :  "  When  the  husbandman  puts  his  sickle  to 
the  yellow  corn,  and  the  olive-trees  drop  their  ripe  fruits 
into  the  laps  of  the  maidens,  Abdoul  will  return  to  guide 
the  Frank  into  southern  lands ;  meanwhile,  Allah  protect 
this  house,  and  send  his  gentlest  breezes  to  blow  on  the 
Mother  lanthe." 

"  My  mother,"  said  Havilah,  "  would  gladly  give  a  part 
ing  blessing  to  him  whom  she  used  fondly  to  call  the  son 
of  her  adoption ;  but  she  has  been  weary,  and  now  she 
sleeps." 

"  Say  to  her,"  said  the  boy,  with  enthusiasm,  "  that  Abdoul 
loves  her  image,  and  bears  it  with  him  in  his  heart,  —  that 
he  hears  her  voice  when  the  turtle-dove  coos  to  its  mate, 
and  feels  the  soft  pressure  of  her  hand  on  his  head  when 
the  south-wind  blows  from  Araby.  For  Havilah,  Abdoul 
has  brought  this  casket  of  sweets,  and  bids  it  whisper 
what  he  fain  would  say."  As  he  spoke,  he  produced  from 
amid  the  voluminous  folds  of  his  silken  abayah  an  exquisite 


68  EL  FUREIDIS. 

little  casket  of  sandal-wood  inlaid  with  pearl,  —  a  master 
piece  of  Damascene  taste  and  skill,  —  and,  gracefully  bend 
ing  on  one  knee,  laid  it  on  the  step  at  her  feet. 

"With  mingled  hesitation  and  pleasure,  Havilah  stooped, 
lifted  the  fragrant  box,  and,  herself  assuming  a  careless, 
half-kneeling  attitude  beside  the  boy,  exclaimed  on  the 
beauty  of  its  workmanship ;  then,  archly  raising  its  lid, 
could  not  resist  an  almost  childish  ejaculation  of  delighted 
surprise,  as  she  found  the  contents  of  the  box  to  consist  of 
layer  upon  layer  of  the  choicest  and  most  tempting  of 
Eastern  sweetmeats. 

"  All  this  for  Havilah  ?  "  she  cried.  "  And  has  Abdoul 
brought  it  through  the  desert  and  over  the  mountains  to 
please  the  taste  which  he  remembers  so  well?" 

"  Were  the  distance  ten  times  as  great,  and  the  casket  as 
heavy  as  its  weight  in  gold,  the  way  would  have  seemed 
short  and  the  burden  light  to  Abdoul,"  replied  the  boy,  with 
a  gravity  unmoved  by  the  playful  demeanor  of  Havilah, 
who  was  meanwhile  inhaling  the  mingled  perfumes  of  the 
casket  and  its  rich  fruits,  and  eagerly  offering  them  to  the 
inspection  of  Ayib,  then  laughingly  snatching  them  away, 
as  the  little  animal,  who,  like  his  mistress,  was  fond  of 
sweets,  ventured  to  intrude  his  nose  too  far. 

Equally  unmoved  was  the  donor  of  the  gift  at  the  sincere 
and  profuse  thanks  with  which  Havilah  now  acknowledged 
her  acceptance  of  it,  —  rising  from  her  lowly  posture,  and 
expressing  herself  with  half-girlish,  half-womanly  grace,  as 
if  she  dimly  realized  that  the  Abdoul  of  her  childhood  was 
scarcely  one  with  the  proud  son  of  the  desert  chief. 

"  Thank  me  not,"  said  Abdoul ;  "  I  merit  no  thanks.  I 
would  but  make  the  casket  the  mouthpiece  of  that  which 
the  soul  would  say.  What  perfume  is  to  the  smell,  and 
sugar  to  the  lip,  may  life  be  always  to  Havilah.  May  every 


EL  FUREIDIS.  69 

evening  shed  fragrance  on  the  head,  and  every  morning 
bring  sweetness  to  the  heart,  of  the  Lebanon  Rose.  Fare 
well." 

She  held  out  her  hand  with  the  same  cordiality  as  on 
first  greeting  him.  He  forbore  to  press  it  to  his  lips, 
though  he  bowed  so  low  as  to  sweep  it  with  his  soft,  curling 
moustache ;  then,  with  a  silent,  expressive  glance  upward 
into  her  face,  he  turned,  and,  wrapping  his  flowing  mantle 
around  him,  strode  quickly  away. 

Havilah  stood  for  a  moment,  leaning  on  the  slender 
railing  which  ran  round  the  fountain,  and  watched  his  re 
treating  figure  as  he  glided  through  the  shrubbery  of  the 
garden ;  then  looking  down  at  Ayib,  —  the  youth's  gift  less 
than  a  year  before, — she  caressed  the  little  creature,  saying 
fondly,  "  Do  not  look  so  mournful,  Ayib.  Abdoul  is  gone, 
but  he  will  come  back  at  harvest-time."  In  a  moment 
more  she  had  resumed  her  place  among  the  cushions,  and, 
with  the  languor  of  contentment  and  repose,  had  become 
lost  in  her  book,  —  the  casket  at  her  side,  and  the  gazelle, 
as  usual,  at  her  feet. 

And  while  she  read,  and  mused  on  her  reading,  her 
temples  fanned  by  the  cool  breeze  that  made  its  way  through 
the  lattice,  and  her  innocent  mind  at  rest,  Abdoul  mounted 
his  steed,  and,  defying  a  scorching  sun,  went  out  with 
throbbing  heart  into  the  desert. 


70  EL  FUREIDIS. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

NOTHING  could  be  more  strictly  in  accordance  with  the 
peculiar  bent  of  Meredith's  taste  and  genius  than  the  sit 
uation  in  which  he  found  himself  in  El  Fureidis. 

We  have  seen  that,  in  the  outset  of  his  Oriental  travels, 
he  shrunk  from  the  ordinary  routes  and  stale  experiences 
of  other  men.  Indeed,  it  would  have  been  impossible  for 
him,  if  he  would,  to  pursue  the  old  time-worn  routine.  It 
had  never  been  his  lot  to  follow  in  life's  beaten  track.  It 
was  not  in  his  nature.  The  sports  of  his  very  childhood 
had  either  been  solitary  or  diverse  from  those  of  his  play 
mates.  As  a  boy,  he  had  scorned  the  ordinary  boyish  com 
petitions  of  strength  and  skill,  to  astonish  his  rivals  at  an 
unlooked-for  crisis  by  some  strange  feat  which  none  other 
dared  attempt.  As  a  student,  he  had  shown  no  eagerness 
for  the  prizes  which  excited  his  schoolfellows  to  toil,  relin 
quishing  to  his  inferiors  the  outward  plaudits  and  manifest 
rewards,  while  he  forced  for  himself  a  new  mine  of  knowl 
edge,  or  strained  his  ardent  mind  in  some  erratic  pursuit, 
of  which  none  might  see  the  fruits.  And  when  life  held 
out  its  dazzling  prospects  to  the  man,  he  suffered  others  to 
precede  him  in  the  race,  whose  goal  he  had  no  wish  to 
win,  and  either  turned  to  muse  amid  the  by-paths,  or,  on 
the  wings  of  a  poetic  imagination,  soared  above  the  crowd, 
and  smiled  at  the  selfish  greed  with  which  they  strove  for 
the  thing  he  called  a  bubble. 


EL  FUREIDIS.  71 

And  so,  because  he  disappointed  men's  hopes,  and  had  no 
sympathy  with  their  pursuits,  they  dubbed  him  odd,  —  and 
rightly  so. 

He  had  a  mind  too  vigorous  and  refined,  a  heart  too  fresh 
and  sensitive,  to  permit  him  to  mould  his  life  on  the  stereo 
typed  plan  ;  but  he  had  not  yet  learned  the  noblest  use  for 
which  that  life  was  given.  How,  then,  could  he  be  other 
wise  than  strange,  erratic,  and  unlike  his  fellows,  —  unlike 
them  in  that  he  failed  to  share  their  motives,  aspirations, 
and  schemes,  —  unlike  them,  inasmuch  as,  having  no  fixed 
purposes  and  aims  of  his  own,  he  drifted  idly  on  the  sea  of 
time,  and  brought  no  fruit  to  perfection  ? 

What  he  needed  was  a  life  motive,  and  that  the  highest. 
But  of  this  need  he  had  not  yet  become  conscious.  It  was 
enough  for  him,  if,  escaping  the  satiety  and  the  paltriness  of 
conventional  usages,  he  could  find  some  sufficient  spur  to  his 
enthusiasm,  some  temporary  impulse  to  mental  and  physical 
activity.  And  this  he  found  in  El  Fureidis. 

Meredith  was  too  experienced  a  traveller,  too  genuine 
and  earnest  a  man,  to  be  satisfied  with  superficial  knowledge, 
whether  of  places  or  people.  Still,  the  restlessness  and  im 
petuosity  of  his  character,  combined  with  a  certain  slowness 
of  adaptation  to  new  circumstances  and  associates,  would 
probably  have  hurried  him  through  the  Holy  Land,  and  left 
him  with  prejudiced,  if  not  erroneous,  views  of  the  country, 
but  for  the  seeming  accident  which  served  to  link  him  to 
the  soil,  to  furnish  a  central  point  round  which  his  future 
plans  might  radiate,  and  to  render  this  little  Lebanon  val 
ley  the  nucleus  of  his  Eastern  wanderings. 

Had  the  delay  in  his  journey  proceeded  from  other  than 
natural  causes,  he  would  have  chafed  bitterly  at  such  irrep 
arable  loss  of  time ;  had  the  hospitality  he  was  now  enjoy 
ing  been  importunately  thrust  upon  him,  he  would  have 


72  EL  FUEEIDIS. 

proudly  repelled  it,  as  an  encroachment  upon  his  freedom  of 
thought  and  action.  As  it  was,  his  illness  and  consequent 
debility  had  served  to  habituate  him  to  the  interruption  of 
his  plans,  while  the  cordial  and  unaffected  kindness  of  which 
he  had  become  the  subject  effectually  disarmed  his  pride, 
excited  the  warmest  emotions  of  gratitude,  and  developed 
those  genial  and  social  qualities  of  his  nature  which  had  sel 
dom  before  been  fully  called  into  exercise. 

Immediately  upon  the  re-establishment  of  his  health,  it  is 
true,  the  force  of  former  habit  threatened  to  gain  the  ascen 
dency  over  his  newly  acquired  ingenuousness  of  heart  and 
manner.  Thus  it  was  with  something  of  the  precision  of 
studied  politeness,  something  of  the  reserve  of  aristocratic 
breeding,  that  he  took  an  early  opportunity  to  thank  M. 
Trefoil  in  the  warmest  terms  for  his  unmerited  kindness  and 
hospitality,  at  the  same  time  expressing  the  intention  to  de 
part  at  once  on  his  travels. 

The  sensitive  pride  which  shrank  from  incurring  obliga 
tion  was  not,  however,  proof  against  the  simple  mingling 
of  disappointment  and  generosity  with  which  this  announce 
ment  was  received  by  the  benevolent  manufacturer.  Gen 
uine  surprise  and  regret  were  depicted  on  every  line  of  his 
honest  countenance.  He  even  uttered  a  few  interjectional 
phrases,  expressive  of  heart-felt  sorrow  at  the  thought  of  this 
unexpected  parting,  and  hinted  at  future  schemes  of  per 
sonal  pleasure  and  gratification  which  it  would  inevitably 
frustrate ;  but  with  simple  disinterestedness  he  forbore  urg 
ing  them  upon  his  guest,  deprecated  with  childlike  simplicity 
the  selfishness  of  seeking  to  detain  him  longer  in  a  place 
which  offered  so  few  attractions  to  the  man  of  pleasure  as 
El  Fureidis,  and  ended  by  begging  to  know  if  he  could  be 
of  any  use  in  furnishing  horses,  engaging  guides,  or  other 
wise  facilitating  the  Englishman's  journey. 


EL  FUREIDIS.  73 

Meredith  was  staggered  in  his  resolution.  He  had  steeled 
himself  against  hospitable  solicitations  and  entreaties,  had 
armed  himself  with  arguments  in  favor  of  what  he  deemed 
a  well-concerted  plan  of  travel ;  but  he  was  quite  unpre 
pared  for  the  evident  pain  his  announcement  had  caused,  as 
well  as  for  the  unsophisticated  friendliness  and  cordiality 
with  which  his  kind  host  had  kept  his  own  hopes  and  wishes 
in  the  background,  while  he  lent  himself  to  the  accomplish 
ment  of  his  guest's  schemes. 

The  young  man  was  conscious  that  decision  of  purpose 
had  imparted  to  his  manner  an  air  of  chilling  reserve ;  he 
feared  that  his  abrupt  departure  might  savor  of  ingratitude, 
and  almost  repented  the  resolution  which  had  been  dictated 
by  independence  of  spirit  and  a  characteristic  fear  of  intru 
sion,  rather  than  by  his  own  secret  preferences. 

It  was  not  without  inward  satisfaction,  therefore,  that  he 
listened  to  the  paternal  advice  of  M.  Lapierre,  who,  being 
appealed  to  on  the  subject,  gravely  put  a  veto  upon  Mere 
dith's  projected  route,  pronounced  the  season  unsuitable  for 
extending  his  travels  into  Southern  Judaea,  and  earnestly 
recommended,  both  in  consideration  of  his  health  and  his 
advantage  as  a  traveller,  that  he  should  devote  the  remain 
der  of  the  summer  to  excursions  in  the  interesting  and  salu 
brious  regions  of  the  Lebanon  and  the  Anti-Lebanon. 

Thus  encouraged,  M.  Trefoil  hesitated  not  warmly  to 
second  the  proposition  ;  and  Meredith,  whose  mood  of  mind 
had  been  sensibly  modified  during  the  conversation,  was 
without  difficulty  persuaded  to  make  El  Fureidis  his  head 
quarters  for  the  present,  to  dismiss  Abdoul,  who  was  impa 
tient  to  join  his  desert  tribe,  and  to  postpone  the  journey  to 
Jerusalem  until  after  harvest,  at  which  time  M.  Trefoil  con 
fessed  that  he  had  proposed  to  offer  himself  as  his  friend's 
travelling  companion  to  the  Holy  City. 
4 


74  EL  FUEEIDIS. 

Meredith  still  thought  proper  to  protest  against  the  excess 
of  hospitality  which  now  led  M.  Trefoil  to  claim  him  as  his 
guest  for  an  indefinite  period.  The  young  man  even  went 
so  far  as  to  propose  an  independent  residence,  and  to  nego 
tiate  with  the  village  sheik,  whose  dignity  was  merely  nom 
inal,  and  who  for  a  moderate  compensation  was  ready  to 
evacuate  his  premises  in  the  Englishman's  behalf.  But  be 
fore  this  purpose  could  be  put  in  execution,  the  destined 
occupant  discovered  that  M.  Trefoil,  who  had  reluctantly 
conceded  this  point,  was  resolved  none  the  less  to  constitute 
himself  his  friend's  host;  that  arrangements  were  going 
forward  for  transporting  from  the  villa  to  the  sheik's  house 
all  the  articles  of  furniture  and  domestic  luxury  that  would  be 
required ;  that  well-trained  servants  were  even  being  drafted 
from  the  manufacturer's  dwelling  to  be  placed  at  Meredith's 
disposal ;  and,  in  a  word,  the  latter  had  the  mortification  of 
perceiving  that  he  had  thoughtlessly  occasioned  a  degree  of 
trouble  and  inconvenience  which  he  had  never  foreseen;  and 
had  suffered  the  villa  to  be  ransacked  and  its  quiet  disturbed 
in  order  to  satisfy  his  pride  and  furnish  him  with  a  sepa 
rate  establishment. 

Thus  his  final  attempt  to  escape  obligation  was  rendered 
abortive,  and  resulted,  as  might  be  conjectured,  in  an  expla 
nation,  a  remonstrance,  and  the  utter  demolition  of  all  those 
barriers  which  English  exclusiveness  had  opposed  to  Syrian 
hospitality.  In  the  hearty  shaking  of  hands  and  the  perfect 
understanding  which  ensued,  a  seal  was  at  once  set  to  Mere 
dith's  fastidious  scruples :  he  suffered  himself  to  be  consid 
ered  a  legitimate  member  of  M.  Trefoil's  household,  and, 
in  the  perfect  liberty  he  there  enjoyed,  the  utter  freedom 
from  conventional  restraints,  he  soon  became  habituated  to 
his  novel  and  agreeable  mode  of  life,  and,  shaking  off  the 
reserve  which  had  elsewhere  existed  as  a  veil  between  him 


EL  FUEEIDIS.  75 

and  his  fellow-men,  suffered  his  character  to  appear  in  its 
true  light 

Nothing  could  have  appealed  more  strongly  to  every  finer 
quality  of  Meredith's  nature  than  the  unquestioning  and 
guileless  trust  which  his  new  friends  reposed  in  him.  He 
had  entered  this  mountain  valley  as  a  stranger,  and  been 
welcomed  as  a  brother  and  a  friend.  He  had  brought  with 
him  no  other  credentials  than  those  which  were  expressed  in 
his  face  and  bearing,  yet  he  had  been  freely  admitted  to  the 
privacy  of  a  domestic  circle.  It  was  well  for  his  simple- 
hearted  and  unworldly  host,  that  nobleness  and  generosity 
were  prominent  traits  in  the  character  of  the  man  with 
whom  he  had  to  deal,  for,  as  will  soon  be  seen,  M.  Trefoil's 
confidence  in  Meredith  was  unlimited. 

"  This  southwesterly  breeze  is  most  refreshing,"  said  the 
silk-manufacturer,  as  he  rose  from  his  breakfast-table  one 
fine  morning  during  the  first  week  that  the  Englishman  had 
been  his  guest.  "  See,"  continued  he,  as  he  walked  to  the 
window  and  threw  wide  the  lattice  ;  "  the  air  is  as  pure  as 
crystal.  How  clearly  the  mountain-tops  are  all  defined 
against  the  blue  sky,  and  how  boldly  the  old  convent  stands 
out  from  its  wall  of  rock  !  You  spoke  of  a  wish  to  visit 
the  monks,"  he  added,  addressing  Meredith,  who  had  joined 
him  at  the  lattice.  "  Why  not  carry  out  your  plan  to-day  ? 
there  can  never  be  a  better  opportunity." 

"  I  will  do  so  most  gladly,  if  you  can  furnish  me  with  a 
guide,"  was  Meredith's  reply ;  "  there  is  no  spot  in  the 
neighborhood  which  excites  my  curiosity  so  strongly ;  but 
my  last  attempt  to  reach  it  was  a  failure." 

"I  wish  I  could  accompany  you,"  said  the  host;  "but 
this  is  the  busiest  season  of  the  year  among  my  work-people. 
The  cocoons,  as  you  observed  yesterday,  will  soon  be  form 
ing  ;  it  is  a  time  of  labor  and  anxiety  to  the  villagers,  and 


76  EL  FtREIDIS. 

my  overseer  and  I  must  be  everywhere  at  once.  However, 
Havilah  will  be  glad  of  an  excuse  to  visit  one  of  her  favorite 
haunts  ;  she  will  go  with  you,  I  have  no  doubt,  and  be  a  far 
better  guide  than  her  father.  The  way  is  rough  ;  but  she  is 
a  mountain-climber  by  profession,  and,  I  promise  you,  you 
can  never  be  introduced  to  the  Superior  more  favorably 
than  under  her  auspices.  Eh,  Havilah  ? "  continued  he, 
laying  his  hand  on  the  head  of  his  daughter,  who  was  feed 
ing  with  bread  numbers  of  tiny  blue  swallows  that  boldly 
ate  from  her  outstretched  palm.  "  Is  there  no  fresh  oint 
ment  prepared  for  the  stiff  joints  of  old  Friar  Ambrose, 
no  black-letter  manuscript  to  be  restored  to  Father  Anas- 
tase  ?  " 

Havilah  answered  by  putting  to  flight  the  little  feathered 
flock,  which  dispersed  for  an  instant,  then  confidently  re 
assembled  around  the  handful  of  crumbs  which  she  had 
scattered  for  them  on  the  table-cloth ;  and  hastening  from 
the  apartment,  she  soon  returned,  bringing  with  her  a  quaint, 
coverless  volume,  which  she  laughingly  held  up  before  her 
father. 

"  I  thought  so  !  I  thought  so! "  exclaimed  he,  as  he  took 
it,  turned  over  its  leaves,  and  shook  his  head  despairingly 
at  sight  of  its  unintelligible  Arabic  characters.  "  And  is 
this  the  only  one  ?  " 

"  The  only  one,"  responded  Havilah,  with  mock  sadness ; 
"there  was  another  for  which  I  teased  poor  Father  Anastase 
well,  but  he  persisted  in  holding  up  a  single  finger,  and  say 
ing,  '  One  at  a  time,  my  daughter,  one  at  a  time ! ' " 

"Ah,  the  old  rogue!"  cried  M.  Trefoil.  "He  did  not 
mean  you  should  be  long  in  coming  again  ; "  —  and  care 
lessly  flinging  the  volume,  down  upon  the  divan,  he  took 
up  his  red  tarboosh,  fitted  it  to  his  temples,  and  walked 
away,  saying,  "The  convent,  then,  is  the  order  of  the 


EL  FUREIDIS.  77 

day.  Good  morning,  Mr.  Meredith ;  I  shall  see  you  again 
at  dinner." 

"  Take  Geita  with  you,  my  child,"  said  lanthe,  as  Havi- 
lah,  in  simple  deference  to  her  father's  wishes,  was  about 
to  leave  the  room  and  prepare  for  her  excursion.  "Let 
Bachmet  go  too,  and  carry  the  date  brandy  which  has 
been  ready  for  a  week  or  more.  Do  not  forget  the  goat's- 
milk  cheese  for  Father  Ambrose,  and  as  you  pass  through 
the  village,  you  can  leave  the  herbs  for  poor  Tyiby's  sick 
boy." 

Havilah  listened  dutifully  to  her  mother's  instructions, 
then  sped  away  to  fulfil  them.  A  few  moments  only  were 
required  for  completing  the  simple  arrangements,  which 
were  matters  of  every-day  recurrence  at  the  villa,  and  the 
morning  was  yet  in  its  freshness  when  the  little  party  set 
out  on  their  pedestrian  expedition.  They  were  a  pic 
turesque  group  of  excursionists,  —  the  tall,  athletic  Eng 
lishman,  in  simple  shooting-dress  of  rough  gray  tweed,  his 
manly  Saxon  features  exposed  to  full  view  beneath  his 
visorless  Glengarry  cap, — Havilah,  attired  in  the  same  con 
venient  costume  in  which  Meredith  had  first  encountered 
her  on  the  mountains,  and  the  rich  glow  which  the  fresh 
morning  breeze  imparted  to  her  cheeks  well  entitling  her  to 
the  appellation  of  the  "  Lebanon  Rose,"  —  the  little  Geita 
tripping  closely  beside  her  mistress,  her  full  trousers  and 
flowing  robe  of  gayly  figured  print  proclaiming  her  of 
Moslem  origin,  —  and  Bachmet,  clad  in  the  coarse  blue 
stuff  of  the  country,  unceremoniously  trudging  some  dis 
tance  in  advance  of  the  other  members  of  the  party,  sway 
ing  his  heavy  basket  to  and  fro  on  his  head,  and  gayly 
singing  as  he  went. 

They  would  have  struck  at  once  into  the  mountain  paths ; 
but  Havilah's  commissions  among  the  peasantry  must  first 


78  EL  FUREIDIS. 

be  executed,  and  Bachmet  therefore  led  the  way  through 
the  village.  Here  their  interruptions  and  delays  were 
numerous.  The  master's  daughter  must  pause  for  a  kind 
word  and  a  blessing  from  the  old  miller,  whose  olive-mill 
was  at  rest  at  the  season  when  the  silkworm  was  most  busy, 
and  who,  as  he  sat  idly  smoking  his  pipe,  literally  beneath 
his  own  vine  and  fig-tree,  was  eager  to  detain  the  youthful 
pride  of  the  village,  that  he  might  at  the  same  time  bestow 
a  long  and  curious  gaze  upon  her  English  companion. 

She  must  not  pass  the  mission  school  without  lingering  a 
moment  to  distribute  among  the  elder  pupils  the  Arabic 
Bibles  which  had  recently  been  procured  for  them  in  Bey- 
rout  ;  the  younger  members  of  the  throng  meanwhile  crowd 
ing  round  the  Englishman,  not  because  his  appearance  was 
still  unfamiliar  to  their  inquisitive  eyes,  but  because  they 
had  not  forgotten  the  handful  of  paras  which  he  had  scat 
tered  among  them  a  few  days  previously. 

She  must  not  refuse  the  pressing  entreaties  of  Tyiby  (the 
good)  that  she  would  enter  her  low-roofed  cottage,  and  cheer 
with  a  smile  the  little  fever-parched  boy,  Meredith  being 
compelled  to  await  his  companion  without,  since  Tyiby, 
though  a  convert  to  pure  Christianity,  could  not  quite  over 
come  her  superstitious  dread  of  the  evil  eye,  and  of  a 
stranger's  noxious  influence  upon  her  countless  little  ser 
vants,  which,  arranged  on  wicker  frames  inside  her  dwell 
ing,  were  diligently  spinning  their  silken  cocoons. 

Meredith  chafed  somewhat  at  these  successive  claims  upon 
his  patience ;  but  it  was  with  unruffled  good-humor  that 
Havilah  acceded  to  them  all ;  and  it  was  with  a  smile  as 
fresh  as  the  morning,  that,  as  they  turned  from  Tyiby's  cot 
tage  at  the  extremity  of  the  village,  she  waved  her  hand  to 
the  handsome  matron,  saying,  "  Plenty  of  cocoons  to  you, 
Tyiby,  and  a  short  day." 


EL  FUREIDIS.  79 

"  Ah,"  replied  the  peasant-woman,  following  them  with  a 
wistful  gaze  as  they  turned  into  the  path  leading  to  the 
foot  of  the  mountain  gorge,  "  labor  is  the  lot  of  Yoosoof 's 
helpmeet,  and  her  shadow  will  be  long  in  coming ;  *  but 
sunshine  and  joy  to  the  Lebanon  Rose,  and  long  life  to  the 
Frank." 

The  distance  from  the  village  to  the  convent,  though  con 
siderably  less  than  that  which  Meredith  had  accomplished 
on  his  unsuccessful  circuit,  could  not  be  estimated,  even  by 
the  shortest  route,  at  less  than  three  or  four  English  miles. 
The  first  half  of  the  way  consisted  of  a  gradual  winding  de 
scent  to  the  bed  of  the  mountain  stream ;  and,  beyond  this, 
the  opposite  cliffs,  on  which  the  convent  was  situated,  must 
be  scaled  by  means  of  an  abrupt,  precipitous  ascent,  which 
offered  a  severe  test  to  the  unpractised  climber. 

For  an  hour  or  more  the  path  which  our  party  followed 
was  comparatively  smooth  and  feasible,  the  trees  above  their 
heads  forming  a  continued  arbor  of  shade,  and  the  ground 
beneath  their  feet  flower-strewn  at  every  step.  Scarlet 
anemones,  myrtle,  and  wild  roses  bloomed  in  the  richest 
profusion  ;  every  rock  and  crag  was  enwreathed  with  blos 
soming  vines ;  and  not  only  was  Meredith's  botanical  taste 
gratified  to  the  utmost,  but  Havilah's  superior  knowledge 
was  continually  appealed  to  for  the  recognition  of  plants  to 
which  he  could  give  no  name. 

Thus  the  box  which  Geita  carried  for  the  purpose  was 
speedily  filled  with  rare  specimens,  the  senses  were  well- 
nigh  satiated  with  sweet  odors,  and  the  progress  of  the  party 
was  less  and  less  impeded  by  the  temptation  to  pause  or 
turn  aside  from  the  path. 


*  The  Syrian  peasants  reckon  time  by  their  shadows,  and  the  coming 
of  the  shadow  signifies  nightfall. 


80  EL  FUEEIDIS. 

Had  Meredith  been  forewarned  that  fate  had  destined 
him  to  the  free  and  intimate  companionship  of  the  beautiful 
young  creature,  the  first  sight  of  whom  had  inspired  him 
only  with  admiring  awe  ;  had  it  been  whispered  to  him  that 
she  whom  he  had  respectfully  worshipped  in  the  distance 
would  one  day  be  thrown,  as  it  were,  upon  his  protection 
and  society ;  in  a  word,  had  he  had  a  dim  presentiment 
of  his  present  relations  with  Havilah,  —  his  characteristic 
reserve  would  have  taken  alarm,  embarrassment  would  have 
absorbed  all  other  emotions,  and  diffidence  and  mauvaise 
honte  would  have  rebelled  against  such  a  severe  ordeal. 

But  destiny  foreshadowed  furnishes  but  a  distorted  image 
of  the  destiny  which  takes  men  by  surprise,  and  Meredith 
in  unexpected  circumstances  proved  the  very  reverse  of 
what  those  who  knew  him  best  might  reasonably  have 
prophesied.  Self-consciousness,  even  the  self-consciousness 
of  a  generous  nature,  could  not  exist  in  the  atmosphere  of 
one  so  artless,  so  fearless,  so  free  as  Havilah.  One  might 
as  well  have  been  abashed  by  the  wild-flowers  that  reared 
their  graceful  heads  on  every  side,  or  shrunk  from  the  swal 
lows  that  flitted  boldly  overhead,  or  feared  to  look  in  the 
eye  of  the  little  gazelle.  Havilah  was  a  being  of  another 
stamp  from  those  young  women  into  whose  society  Meredith 
had  hitherto  been  thrown,  and  in  her  presence  he  became 
another  man. 

Thus,  in  reply  to  her  simple  and  guileless  queries,  he 
talked  to  her  freely  of  his  English  home,  told  her  what 
flowers  were  native  to  an  English  soil,  what  were  the  pecu 
liarities  of  an  English  climate,  and  what  the  most  striking 
points  of  contrast  between  her  own  sunny  land  and  the  dis 
tant  isles  of  Great  Britain.  Then,  led  on  by  the  child-like 
attention  and  Avomanly  intelligence  of  his  eager  listener,  he 
described  to  her  his  travels  in  the  farther  West,  in  the  land 


EL  FUEEIDIS.  81 

which  she  cherished  and  loved  as  her  father's  birthplace 
and  the  home  of  his  boyhood;  told  her  of  the  boundless 
prairies,  which  had  been  the  red  man's  hunting-ground,  and 
of  streams  so  broad  and  long  that  the  boasted  rivers  of 
Damascus  and  of  Lebanon  were  as  feeble  rills  hi  com 
parison. 

Nor  was  the  conversation  of  which  this  usually  reserved 
man  assumed  the  burden,  and  with  which  he  effectually 
beguiled  the  way,  made  up  alone  of  his  own  experience 
in  life  or  travel.  Every  trifling  incident  and  object  in 
their  walk  furnished  a  suggestion  to  a  mind  rich  in  rare 
attainments  and  refined  and  poetic  culture,  and  Havilah's 
large  eyes  glowed  with  strange  interest  and  surprise,  as 
one  by  one  he  unlocked  at  her  bidding  and  for  her  benefit 
those  treasures  of  learning  and  of  taste  hitherto  studiously 
shut  from  the  eye  of  the  world,  but  of  which  this  child  of 
nature  had  by  her  own  simple  intuition  found  the  key. 

The  quiet  of  the  mountain  solitudes,  which  had  only  been 
now  and  then  interrupted  by  the  clear  warbling  of  a  bird, 
was  at  length  broken  by  the  distinct,  monotonous  sound  of 
rushing  water,  and,  as  the  party  drew  near  the  border  of  the 
stream  which  they  had  been  gradually  approaching,  they 
recognized  the  musical  plash  of  one  of  the  foaming  cascades 
that  were  frequent  in  the  wild  ravine,  where  the  current  in 
its  downward  course  leaped  from  crag  to  crag,  as  joyously 
as  a  child  at  play.  Nothing  could  be  more  picturesquely 
beautiful  than  this  little  cataract,  whose  silvery  spray  rose 
high  in  the  air,  glimmered  an  instant  in  the  sunshine,  then 
fell  laughing  back  into  the  stream,  to  continue  its  race,  and 
take  its  next  wild  plunge  into  the  valley  below.  Meredith 
and  Havilah  paused  involuntarily  to  enjoy  the  refreshing 
sight  and  sound ;  then  the  former,  observing  that  the  torrent 
at  the  foot  of  the  waterfall  was  possessed  of  considerable 
4*  F 


82  EL  FUREIDIS. 

depth,  and  that  there  were  no  apparent  means  of  crossing  it, 
looked  about  him  for  the  material  from  which  to  construct  a 
temporary  bridge.  No  branch  or  log  offered  itself  for  the 
purpose,  but  an  instant's  glance  revealed  a  huge  stone  so 
placed  that  his  unaided  strength  could  easily  hurl  it  into  the 
bed  of  the  current,  and  he  had  placed  his  hand  upon  it  for 
this  purpose,  when,  looking  up,  he  saw  that  he  was  laboring 
for  his  own  benefit  alone.  Havilah  had  already  crossed  the 
flood,  by  means  of  some  little  points  of  rock  scarcely  dis 
cernible  amid  the  spray,  and  on  which  her  foot  had  been 
planted  so  lightly  that  she  now  stood  dry-shod  upon  the 
opposite  margin,  watching  the  motions  of  Meredith,  as  also 
those  of  Geita  and  Bachmet,  who  had  removed  their  shoes, 
and  were  deliberately  fording  the  stream  somewhat  lower 
down.  It  only  remained  for  Meredith  to  follow  the  exam 
ple  of  Havilah,  which  he  did  unhesitatingly,  though  not 
escaping  a  wet  foot  and  a  slight  shade  of  mortification  at  the 
advantage  she  had  gained  over  him. 

Nor  was  this  advantage  in  any  degree  lost  by  his  young 
guide  during  the  rough  and  tortuous  ascent  which  com 
menced  the  moment  the  stream  was  crossed.  Meredith 
might  scale  precipices  and  surmount  rude,  flint-strewn  stair 
cases  in  the  rock,  with  a  rapidity  and  energy  which  aston 
ished  himself,  but  he  could  never  be  in  advance  of  his  fairy- 
footed  companion,  nor  gain  a  point  where  his  gallantry  could 
be  of  any  service  to  her.  If  he  lost  sight  of  her  for  a  mo 
ment,  and  looked  back,  suspecting  she  had  paused  to  take 
breath,  he  would  hear  her  voice  above  him,  and,  glancing 
upward,  would  behold  her  standing  on  some  apparently  inac 
cessible  crag,  smiling  at  his  bewilderment.  If  he  sought  to 
warn  her  against  a  sliding  stone,  or  insidious  pitfall,  she 
would  have  safely  passed  the  dangerous  crisis  before  the 
word  could  escape  his  lip ;  and,  so  far  from  attempting  to 


EL  FUREIDIS.  83 

offer  his  aid,  it  soon  became  the  Englishman's  sole  effort  to 
at  least  equal  her  in  boldness  and  agility. 

Thus  vying  with  each  other  in  that  mountain  exercise 
which,  to  the  healthy  and  the  young,  has  always  in  it  some 
thing  inspiring,  they  soon  gained  the  lofty  and  desolate  emi 
nence  on  which  the  convent  stood,  having  left  far  behind 
them  the  weary  Geita,  and  Bachmet,  panting  beneath  his 
load. 


84  EL  FURE1DIS. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

IF  the  original  founder  of  this  old  fortress-like  monastery 
was  actuated  by  the  desire  of  rigid  seclusion  from  the  world, 
or  by  a  love  of  lonely  and  sublime  contemplation,  he  could 
not  have  chosen  a  more  fit  locality.  It  seemed,  indeed,  a 
marvel  that  the  necessities  of  life  could  be  obtained,  and  its 
ordinary  routine  carried  on,  amid  such  desolation  of  sur 
rounding  nature ;  and  of  late  years  this  result  had  only  been 
accomplished  by  the  most  untiring  industry.  The  institu 
tion  had  once  been  largely  endowed,  and  the  monks  had 
enjoyed  extensive  revenues ;  but  the  political  convulsions 
and  rival  feuds,  which  had  from  time  to  time  shaken  and 
devastated  the  mountains,  had  swept  away  the  property  and 
influence  of  the  once  powerful  brotherhood,  which  had  now 
dwindled  to  a  few  feeble  old  men,  who  by  diligent  labor  and 
patient  economy  eked  out  a  scanty  livelihood. 

But  though  the  ambitious  and  proselyting  spirit  of  their 
order  had  died  out  with  its  wealth,  the  pure  and  simple  vir 
tues  of  monastic  life  had  never  been  so  fully  developed  as 
in  this  its  day  of  outward  decline.  Their  labors  as  hus 
bandmen,  vine-dressers,  and  gardeners  left  the  good  fathers 
no  time  for  contentions  and  intrigues ;  and  a  more  harmless, 
peaceable,  and  hospitable  household  could  scarcely  be  con 
ceived  than  this  band  of  Maronite  brethren,  who,  so  lono-  as 

7  '  O 

they  were  undisturbed  in  the  remnant  of  their  heritage,  had 
no  disposition  to  interfere  with  the  rights  and  privileges  of 
other  men. 


EL  FUREIDIS.  85 

Between  the  inmates  of  the  convent  and  the  family  of 
M.  Trefoil  there  had  always  existed  a  friendly  and  neigh 
borly  understanding,  which  was  evidenced  rather  by  a  reci 
procity  of  civilities  and  kind  deeds  than  by  any  frequency  of 
intercourse.  The  old  Superior  had  observed  with  a  some 
what  jealous  eye  the  successful  labors  of  M.  Lapierre,  and 
had  shaken  his  head  disapprovingly  as  he  watched  the  erec 
tion,  within  the  constant  range  of  his  vision,  of  a  church 
dedicated  to  a  liberal  faith ;  but  he  had  forborne  any  open  or 
secret  expostulation,  and  the  bells  of  the  convent  tower  and 
the  village  church  had  long  since  learned  to  chime  in  unison. 

In  the  early  years  of  lanthe's  residence  in  El  Fureidis,  it 
had  been  her  habit  to  pay  an  annual  visit  to  the  convent, 
carrying  with  her  not  a  few  acceptable  gifts  to  the  old  men, 
and  especially  exciting  their  gratitude  by  her  thoughtfulness 
for  their  increasing  infirmities,  and  by  the  invaluable  pre 
scriptions  and  remedies  in  which  she  was  wonderfully  skilled. 

But  the  strongest  bond  of  union  between  the  convent 
fathers  and  the  inhabitants  of  the  opposite  valley  was  the 
mountain  child,  who,  as  the  companion  of  her  mother,  had 
early  been  admitted  to  the  free  range  of  court-yard,  garden, 
and  refectory,  and  who,  now  that  lanthe's  incapacity  for 
fatigue  forbade  her  periodical  visits,  had  become  at  once 
the  joy  of  the  old  monks'  hearts,  and  their  chief  medium  of 
intercourse  with  the  outer  world.  Hers  was  the  only  youth 
ful  laugh  that  ever  interrupted  the  grim  silence  of  their 
ruinous  corridors ;  she  alone  loved  to  ransack  the  antique 
library  on  which  they  prided  themselves,  as  the  chief  relic 
of  their  former  grandeur.  The  choicest  fruits  of  their  or 
chards,  the  rarest  flowers  of  their  gardens,  were  reserved  for 
her  approbation  and  praise ;  and  humble  as  their  offerings 
might  be,  the  messenger  of  lanthe's  bounty  seldom  went 
away  empty-handed. 


86  EL  FUREIDIS. 

M.  Trefoil  had  spoken  truly  when  he  said  that  no  stranger 
could  be  introduced  into  the  convent  under  more  flattering 
circumstances  than  as  the  friend  of  Havilah.  There  was 
welcome  in  the  quick  striking  of  the  old  porter's  crutch  upon 
the  pavement,  as  he  came  hobbling  to  unbar  the  gateway  to 
her  familiar  tap ;  there  was  cordiality  in  the  eagerness  with 
which  he  fumbled  at  the  rusty  lock ;  there  was  untold  hospi 
tality  in  the  generous  manner  in  which  he  drew  wide  the 
portal,  pronounced  with  trembling  lips  a  blessing  on  the 
child,  and  held  out  a  paralytic  hand  to  her  companion. 

"  This  sunny  day  has  brought  us  up  the  mountain,  you 
see,  Father  Ambrose,"  said  Havilah. 

"  It  is  always  a  sunny  day  when  you  come  hither,"  said 
the  old  monk,  as  he  closed  and  rebarred  the  door,  —  "  always, 
—  always,"  he  continued  to  mutter  to  himself,  as,  tottering 
on  his  crutch,  he  preceded  his  visitors  through  the  narrow 
court-yard,  now  and  then  looking  back  over  his  shoulder  to 
feast  his  eyes  upon  Havilah,  and  assure  himself  that  she 
and  the  stranger  were  following  close  upon  his  footsteps. 

The  outer  court-yard  which  they  thus  crossed  was  a  high- 
walled  enclosure,  a  mere  vestibule  leading  to  the  inner  or 
principal  square,  round  which  the  convent  buildings  were 
situated.  The  chuckling  satisfaction  which  Father  Ambrose 
had  evinced  at  sight  of  Havilah  was  succeeded  by  an 
almost  ludicrous  air  of  dignity  and  parade  on  the  part  of 
the  imbecile  old  man,  as,  holding  back  the  inner  gate,  he 
stood  aside  to  let  his  visitors  pass,  his  dim  eye  scanning 
Meredith's  face,  that  he  might  read  there  the  impressions  of 
awe  which  he  believed  it  impossible  this  interior  view  could 
fail  to  awaken.  Poor  Father  Ambrose !  he  remembered 
the  days  of  pride  when  he  had  held  open  this  same  gateway 
for  the  admission  of  some  neighboring  dignitary,  followed  by 
a  long  ecclesiastical  train,  and  met  at  the  entrance  by  the 


EL  FUEEIDIS.  87 

convent  superior  at  the  head  of  an  imposing  priestly  proces 
sion,  while  the  tower-bell  rang  out  a  welcome,  and  the 
central  fountain  sent  up  its  sparkling  waters,  and  busy 
functionaries  hastened  to  and  from  the  luxurious  refec 
tory.  He  forgot  that  these  days  of  grandeur  had  long  since 
passed ;  that  one  after  another  the  stately  procession  had 
been  laid  in  the  rock-hewn  sepulchre  below ;  that  the  tower 
bell  had  ceased  to  sound  its  welcome  to  an  illustrious 
throng ;  that  the  fountain  was  dried  up,  the  orange  and  fig 
trees  that  stood  around  it  withered ;  and  that  nothing  was 
left  to  indicate  past  greatness  but  a  platform  of  defaced, 
uneven  paving,  a  half-ruined  chapel  hewn  from  the  rock,  a 
long  line  of  vacant  dormitories,  and  a  few  old  men  tottering 
on  the  verge  of  the  grave. 

There  is  a  certain  melancholy  grandeur  attendant  on 
utter  ruin  and  decay ;  but  even  this  element  of  tender  inter 
est  was  wanting  to  the  scene  which  the  old  priest  disclosed, 
with  such  a  mockery  of  pride,  to  the  gaze  of  Meredith. 
The  wide,  open  area,  so  far  from  reposing  in  stately  deso 
lation,  had  been  converted  to  the  homeliest  domestic  uses, 
and  was  suggestive  rather  of  the  present  laborious  economy 
and  patient  thrift  of  the  fraternity,  than  of  the  solemn  re 
ceptions  and  dignified  ceremonies  of  the  past.  In  one 
corner,  a  gray-bearded  priest,  clad  in  the  coarse  blue  robe 
worn  by  the  Syrian  peasantry,  was  diligently  shaking  a 
huge  skin  filled  with  cream,  which  he  was  in  the  act  of 
converting  to  butter ;  two  others  were  transferring  wine  of 
their  own  manufacture  from  one  receptacle  to  another,  sev 
eral  clumsy  casks  being  mounted  for  the  purpose  on  the 
discolored  stones  of  the  dry  fountain  ;  a  fourth  was  engaged 
in  the  primitive  occupation  of  grinding  corn  between  two 
flat  stones  ;  while  various  implements  of  toil,  resting  against 
the  walls,  indicated  the  numerous  other  uses  to  which  the 
court-yard  was  applied. 


88  EL  FUREIDIS. 

All  labor,  however,  was  suspended  on  the  entrance  of 
Havilah  and  the  Englishman.  There  was  a  mingling  of 
curiosity  and  shyness  in  the  manner  with  which  the  simple 
brethren  eyed  the  latter ;  but  sincere  and  unaffected  pleas 
ure  shone  in  each  of  their  faces  as  the  young  girl  passed 
from  one  to  another,  with  here  a  kind  inquiry  and  there  a 
congratulatory  comment  on  their  health  or  the  success  of 
their  labors. 

Their  Superior,  they  said,  was  at  work  in  the  flower- 
garden,  and  thither  Father  Ambrose  hurried  his  guests, 
after  affording  them  a  brief  opportunity  to  take  a  general 
survey  of  the  establishment,  so  far  as  it  could  be  discerned 
from  the  court-yard.  A  small  archway  and  a  narrow  corri 
dor,  which  pierced  like  a  tunnel  to  the  exterior  wall  of  the 
monastery,  conducted  to  a  small  plat  of  ground,  which  was 
the  chief  source  of  recreation  to  the  convent  inmates,  and 
which  well  rewarded  their  patience  and  skill.  Every  par 
ticle  of  earth  had  been  laboriously  transported  hither,  and 
was  artificially  retained  and  watered ;  still  the  garden  suf 
ficed  for  the  production  and  growth  of  every  mountain  herb 
and  flower  which  could  enrich  and  beautify  the  place.  Here, 
in  the  midst  of  his  floral  treasures,  the  Superior  might  often 
be  seen,  laboring  with  as  true  a  zeal  as  that  of  the  plodding 
husbandmen,  who  with  their  single  yoke  of  oxen  were  dili 
gently  tilling  the  olive-orchard  and  grain-fields  below.  As 
Havilah  and  Meredith  approached,  he  stood,  leaning  on 
his  spade,  looking  forth  on  the  broad  lands  of  the  distant 
plain,  which  had  once  been  the  property  of  his  predecessors, 
and,  wrapped  in  his  black  gown  and  capuchin-like  hood, 
resembled  rather  a  statue  of  porphyry  than  a  living  being. 
On  hearing  the  sound  of  footsteps,  he  turned  quickly  round, 
revealing  an  attenuated  face  and  figure,  and  a  grave,  melan 
choly  expression  of  countenance.  A  cordial  though  sickly 


EL  FUREIDIS.  89 

and  evidently  unwonted  smile  played  over  his  pale  features, 
as  he  bestowed  a  paternal  benediction  on  Havilah,  and 
greeted  Meredith  with  friendly  hospitality,  though  with 
scarcely  more  enthusiasm  than  had  been  evinced  by  the 
other  friars.  He  warmed  into  animation,  however,  as  Havi 
lah  inquired  after  each  of  his  vegetable  favorites,  commented 
on  the  growth  of  each  rare  shrub,  and  finally  exclaimed,  with 
delight,  as  she  caught  sight  of  a  rose  which  had  been  the 
object  of  his  care  and  contemplation  for  months,  "  It  has 
blossomed  at  last !  O  how  beautiful ! " 

"  It  is  yours,  my  daughter,"  was  the  eager  response  ;  and 
stooping  down,  the  devoted  gardener  removed  it  reveren 
tially  from  its  stalk,  and  placed  it  in  Havilah's  hand  with 
the  air  of  one  Avho  is  laying  a  sacrifice  on  an  altar,  adding, 
as  he  did  so,  "  It  is  the  first-fruits  of  my  labors,  dedicated 
to  the  Mother  lanthe."  Then  turning  to  Meredith,  he  ad 
dressed  him  in  Italian,  a  language  with  which  the  English 
man  was  fortunately  acquainted,  and,  leading  the  way  back  to 
the  convent,  proposed  to  conduct  him  through  the  buildings, 
urging  him  at  the  same  time,  if  he  purposed  remaining  in 
the  country,  to  take  up  his  abode  within  its  walls. 

Though  the  latter  part  of  the  proposition  was  respectfully 
declined,  the  former  was  accepted  with  alacrity.  Father 
Ambrose,  with  due  deference,  retired  to  his  bench  in  the 
court-yard,  and  Meredith  made  a  survey  of  the  ancient 
building  under  the  guidance  of  the  Superior,  —  and  under 
his  guidance  alone,  it  may  be  added,  for  Havilah  had  disap 
peared  at  the  same  moment  with  Father  Ambrose,  though 
in  a  different  direction.  Had  Meredith  been  less  familiar 
with  the  impulsive  and  independent  movements  of  the  young 
girl,  he  would  have  felt  some  anxiety  for  her  safety  among 
the  lonely  corridors  and  dim  archways  of  the  half-dilapi 
dated  convent ;  and  it  must  be  confessed  that,  even  with  his 


90  EL  FUREIDIS. 

knowledge  of  her  self-reliant  habits,  he  was  somewhat  re 
lieved  when,  having  passed  through  chapel,  refectory,  and 
dormitory,  explored  subterranean  vaults,  and  surveyed  the 
prospect  from  the  high  tower,  he  was  at  length  ushered  into 
the  antique  library,  and  beheld  her  quietly  seated  on  the 
low  sill  of  a  deep-set  Gothic  window,  the  floor  around  her 
strewn  with  strange  old  books  and  manuscripts,  while  Father 
Anastase  was  seeking  amid  his  musty  archives  for  some 
hidden  volume  which  he  had  reason  to  believe  would  suit 
her  erratic  tastes. 

She  looked  up  as  Meredith  and  the  Superior  entered, 
responded  slightly  to  the  former's  smile  of  surprise  and 
recognition,  but,  without  suffering  herself  to  be  interrupted 
by  their  presence,  continued  her  eager  examination  of  the 
books  by  which  she  was  surrounded,  selected  that  which 
she  most  coveted,  then,  gathering  up  the  remainder,  assisted 
Father  Anastase  in  restoring  them  to  their  proper  places, 
—  a  service  with  which  the  old  librarian  could  ill  dispense, 
since  his  ignorance  was  such  that  he  could  not  even  read 
the  titles  of  the  volumes  whose  exterior  it  was  his  pride  to 
have  handled  all  his  life  long. 

Meredith  was  in  the  mean  time  listening  with  what  pa 
tience  he  might  to  the  somewhat  tedious  narration  of  the 
Superior,  who  had  an  almost  interminable  story  to  tell  of 
the  past  greatness  of  the  establishment,  its  privileges  and 
endowments.  Her  labors  finished,  Havilah  drew  within 
hearing,  and  bestowed  for  a  while  the  most  docile  and  re 
spectful  attention  upon  the  old  man's  words,  though  she 
could  not  now  and  then  avoid  an  incredulous  smile  at  some 
of  the  absurd  legends  in  which  the  simple  monks  placed  the 
most  implicit  faith.  At  length,  bethinking  herself  of  the 
lateness  of  the  hour,  she  took  advantage  of  a  pause  in  the 
convent  history,  and,  with  a  graceful  apology  to  the  Superior, 


EL  FUREIDIS.  91 

urged  the  necessity  for  departure.  Meredith  at  once  ac 
ceded  to  the  proposition.  They  declined  with  united  voice  a 
cordial  offer  of  refreshment,  on  the  plea  that  dinner,  which 
had  been  delayed  on  their  account,  would  be  awaiting  them 
at  the  villa,  and  the  whole  party  now  hastened  to  the  court 
yard.  It  was  near  the  hour  for  the  refectory  bell  to  sound, 
and  the  monks,  thirteen  in  number,  had  all  assembled  round 
Geita  and  Bachmet,  each  eager  to  express  thanks  for  his 
share  in  lanthe's  bounty,  and  to  send  back  some  slight  token 
of  gratitude,  in  the  shape  of  ripe  fruit,  mammoth  vegetables, 
or  a  bunch  of  rare  herbs. 

It  was  interesting  to  watch  Havilah  moving  amid  the  lit 
tle  group,  the  cheerfulness  of  her  pleasant  parting  words 
reflected  in  each  shrunken  face,  and  her  gay  garments  con 
trasting  with  their  time-worn  habiliments,  like  the  tints  of 
some  bright  bird  flitting  among  the  dry  twigs  and  withered 
leaves  of  autumn.  From  Meredith  the  simple  friars  kept 
a  little  aloof,  his  reserved  bearing  evidently  impressing  them 
with  a  sense  of  restraint  which  was  not  observable  in  their 
Superior,  who  with  grave  decorum  accompanied  his  guests 
to  the  inner  portal,  where  he  bade  them  farewell.  He  man 
ifested  a  slight  shade  of  embarrassment  as  Meredith  with 
some  hesitation  placed  in  his  hand  a  generous  gratuity. 
His  fingers  closed  eagerly  over  it,  however,  nor  could  he 
resist  a  quick  glance  at  the  glittering  gold,  which  his  hum 
bler  brethren  were  gazing  at  with  undisguised  satisfaction. 

Nor  was  old  Ambrose  forgotten ;  he,  too,  received  the 
recompense  of  his  services,  and  it  was  not  without  reason 
that,  as  he  barred  the  gateway  behind  the  visitors,  he  prayed 
that  the  good  Virgin  might  soon  send  them  thither  again. 

This  visit  to  the  convent,  in  spite  of  the  tedious  narra 
tives  of  the  old  Superior,  had  but  served  to  increase  Mere 
dith's  interest  in  the  place  and  its  isolated  inmates,  an 


92  EL  FUREIDIS. 

interest  which  was  still  further  heightened  by  the  graphic 
sketches  which  Havilah  gave  him,  on  their  homeward  way, 
of  the  remarkable  ruins  and  archaeological  curiosities  with 
which  the  mountain  abounded,  and  to  which  the  old  friars 
could  readily  guide  him.  "  They  believe  them,"  said  she, 
"  the  remains  of  temples  erected  in  the  time  of  the  Crusaders, 
and  they  will  relate  to  you  many  a  marvellous  legend  of 
miracles  performed  at  the  sacred  shrines ;  but  Father  La- 
pierre,  who  is  as  learned  as  the  monks  are  ignorant,  ascribes 
these  ruins  to  an  earlier  age,  and  thinks  them  the  remains 
of  temples  erected  in  the  high  places  by  the  ancient  Hivites 
for  the  worship  of  Baal." 

Perhaps  this  information,  with  various  other  hints  equally 
suggestive  to  the  antiquarian  and  man  of  science,  could  not 
have  been  better  timed ;  for  so  thoroughly  was  the  spirit  of 
exploration  aroused  in  Meredith,  that  he  fully  resolved  to 
come  hither  again  at  the  earliest  opportunity,  and,  animated 
by  this  resolve,  was  steeled  against  the  difficulties  of  the 
mountain  descent,  which  was  even  more  perilous  than  the 
ascent  had  been.  Under  the  influence  of  Havilah's  ex 
ample,  however,  he  was  becoming  an  adept  in  pedestrian 
exploits,  and  they  soon  found  themselves  at  the  foot  of  the 
declivity,  where  they  crossed  the  water-course  in  the  same 
manner  as  in  the  morning. 

They  had  scarcely  gained  the  other  side,  and  struck  once 
more  into  the  flowery  path,  when  they  were  joined  by  M. 
Lapierre,  who,  hearing  of  their  excursion,  and  the  probable 
hour  of  their  return,  had  come  to  meet  them.  Meredith, 
eager  to  learn  more  of  the  Canaanitish  ruins,  turned  the 
conversation  in  that  direction,  and  Father  Lapierre,  equally 
ready  for  antiquarian  disquisition  and  argument,  entered 
upon  a  discourse  replete  with  interest  to  both  his  listeners, 
and  which  fully  engrossed  their  time  and  attention  during 
their  homeward  walk  to  the  villa. 


EL  FUREIDIS.  93 


CHAPTER   X. 

THIS  visit  to  the  convent  was  but  one  among  many  simi 
lar  excursions  which  Meredith  made  in  the  companionship 
of  Havilah,  though  seldom  in  the  exclusive  enjoyment  of 
her  society.  Whether  Father  Lapierre's  superior  acquaint 
ance  with  the  world  had  taught  him  a  degree  of  caution 
unknown  to  M.  Trefoil,  or  whether  the  former  simply  fol 
lowed  the  leading  of  his  own  inclinations,  it  henceforth 
rarely  proved  the  case  that  a  mountain  expedition  was  un 
dertaken  which  did  not  include  the  good  missionary  in  the 
party.  His  distant,  parochial  labors,  however,  afforded  him 
a  sufficient  pretext  for  frequently  proposing  to  accompany 
his  young  friends,  and  aid  Havilah  in  the  duties  delegated 
to  her  by  her  father  ;  and  it  may  be  doubted  whether  the  old 
man's  true  motive  was  ever  suspected  either  by  Meredith 
or  his  guide,  both  of  whom  appeared  to  find  equal  delight 
in  the  rich  and  varied  resources  with  which  M.  Lapierre 
contributed  to  their  edification  and  enjoyment. 

Had  Meredith  sought  to  evade  this  venerable  guardian 
ship,  nothing  would  have  been  easier  than  for  him  to  intrude 
himself  upon  Havilah's  solitary  hours,  for  he  was  familiar 
with  her  daily  avocations,  knew  all  her  accustomed  haunts, 
and  the  precise  moment  when  she  might  be  encountered  at 
the  peasant's  cottages,  the  mission  school,  or  at  Ayn  el  Bered, 
where  she  went  regularly  to  procure  her  mother's  noonday 
beverage.  But  even  if  he  had  been  capable  of  thus  taking 


94  EL  FUEEIDIS. 

advantage  of  the  confidence  reposed  in  him,  nothing  was 
further  from  his  thoughts  than  attempting  to  play  the  gal 
lant  towards  the  young  girl,  who  neither  sought  nor  avoided 
his  society,  but  treated  him  with  the  simple,  unaffected  cor 
diality  which  she  might  have  bestowed  on  a  respected  kins 
man,  long  admitted  to  the  privileges  of  the  household. 

Had  Meredith's  early  impressions  of  Havilah  continued 
in  full  force,  had  he  departed  on  his  travels  with  only  the 
vague,  mystical  sense  of  beauty  which  dawned  upon  him  in 
the  chapel  on  the  first  night  of  his  arrival,  and  was  confirmed 
by  the  vision  that  haunted  him  in  his  illness,  it  is  probable 
that  she  would  have  been  treasured  in  his  memory  as  a  dim 
unreality,  the  angelic  but  shadowy  creation  of  his  fancy. 
But  this  poetic  dream  could  not  exist  in  the  daylight  of  his 
.  nearer  intercourse  with  her.  He  had  been  startled  from  it 
A\lien  she  burst  upon  him  in  the  character  of  a  mountain 
wood-nymph ;  he  forgot  it  altogether  as  he  beheld  her  amid 
the  endearing  relations  of  her  home. 

But  although  the  fictitious  emotions  of  an  imaginative 
mind  had  been  thus  suddenly  dissipated,  they  were  super 
seded  by  sentiments  none  the  less  engrossing.  The  pictu 
resque  beauty  of  Havilah's  face  and  figure,  the  artless  and 
attractive  graces  of  her  manner,  so  far  from  being  dimmed 
by  familiarity,  gained  new  power  with  every  variq  on  of  her 
features,  every  circumstance  which  called  her  sensibilities 
into  play ;  and  the  Englishman,  who,  in  the  isolated  enjoy 
ment  of  his  favorite  pursuits  had  hitherto  seemed  blind  and 
deaf  to  female  fascinations,  became  lost  in  admiration  and 
curiosity.  Not  that  admiration  which  seeks  to  appropriate 
what  is  fair,  but  that  artistic  and  zealous  enthusiasm  which 
he  would  have  bestowed  upon  any  other  lovely  object  in 
nature ;  not  that  rude  curiosity  which  avails  itself  of  every 
opportunity  to  pry  into  the  sacred  recesses  of  life  and  char- 


EL  FUREIDIS.  95 

acter,  for  he  would  not  for  worlds  have  invaded  her  inde 
pendent  range  of  thought  and  action,  but  rather  that  intense 
and  absorbing  interest  which  made  her  every  word  a  prob 
lem,  her  every  motion  a  study. 

This  deep,  and,  to  Meredith  himself,  half-conscious  influ 
ence,  would  never  have  strengthened  into  a  motive  power,  — 
it  might  even  have  sunk  into  indifference  or  been  palled  by 
satiety,  —  had  Havilah  been  nothing  more  than  the  light- 
hearted  mountain  girl,  the  idol  of  her  parents,  the  pride  of 
the  highland  valley.  The  man  of  large  culture  and  fastid 
ious  tastes  would  soon  have  wearied  of  her  fair  features  if 
they  had  never  been  illumined  by  intelligence,  would  have 
smiled  with  ill-disguised  contempt  at  her  simplicity,  if  it  had 
been  but  another  name  for  ignorance,  and  would  have  been 
disgusted  with  her  unfailing  good-humor,  if  it  had  ever 
degenerated  into  insipidity. 

But  Havilah,  heir  as  she  was  of  many  and  varied  gifts, 
had  been  trained  in  a  school  which  eminently  fitted  her  for 
the  companionship  of  an  intellectual  and  cultivated  man. 
From  infancy  she  had  been  the  cherished  pupil  of  M.  La- 
pierre,  and  the  mind  in  which  he  had  early  awakened  the 
thirst  for  knowledge  had  drunk  freely  from  the  ever  open 
fountain  of  his  ripened  wisdom  and  experience.  The  ac 
complishments  which  to  many  cost  years  of  labor  had  been 
hers  by  circumstance  or  intuition.  Music  had  come  to  her 
as  an  inspiration,  and  most  of  the  modern  languages  had 
been  familiar  to  her  ears  from  childhood.  Thus  she  had 
been  spared  much  of  the  usual  toilsome  routine,  and  had 
found  time  for  the  severer  pursuits  into  which  it  had  been 
M.  Lapierre's  delight  to  initiate  her,  even  at  a  tender  age. 
Nor  had  books  been  the  only  or  the  chief  means  of  her  in 
struction.  Hand  in  hand  with  the  old  man,  she  had  trod  the 
mountain  paths,  each  tree,  each  stone,  each  flower  furnishing 


96  EL  FUEEIDIS. 

the  lesson  in  natural  science,  each  castellated  ruin  or  de 
serted  shrine  the  open  volume  in  which  she  read  the  history 
of  a  mighty  past.  But  better  far  than  all  her  acquirements 
was  the  sweet  docility  with  which  she  ever  bent  her  mind  to 
new  attainments.  Labor  as  she  might,  she  could  never 
probe  the  depths  of  her  master's  learning ;  and  as  the  pious 
man  had  not  forgotten  to  impress  her  with  the  truth  that  his 
own  stores  of  knowledge  were  but  as  a  drop  in  the  sea  of 
the  great  unknown,  she  had  been  saved  alike  from  pedantry 
and  presumption,  and,  ignorant  of  the  comparative  progress 
she  had  made,  maintained  invariably  the  mental  attitude  of 
a  child. 

It  was  this,  perhaps,  more  than  any  other  trait,  which  cap 
tivated  her  father's  English  guest.  Astonished  he  might 
well  be,  when  accident  revealed  her  familiarity  with  abstruse 
science,  when,  in  the  capacity  of  his  Lebanon  guide,  she 
readily  deciphered  some  old  Saracenic  inscription,  or  defined 
the  intricate  shades  of  ancient  architecture ;  but  the  moments 
when  her  winning  graces  stole  into  his  heart  were  those  in 
which,  having  strayed  beyond  the  boundaries  of  her  own 
sphere  of  learning,  she  plied  him  with  some  earnest  question, 
or  fixed  her  large  eyes  gravely  on  his  face,  while  he  dis 
coursed  on  some  foreign  land  or  original  theme.  Nor  is 
this  strange ;  for  man  loves  a  reverential  spirit  in  woman, 
and  the  Englishman  was  by  nature  proud. 

Meredith's  genius  was  of  the  reflective  order ;  but  never 
had  he  meditated  with  such  ardor  as  upon  the  subject  which 
now  engrossed  him.  He  had  been  a  student  all  his  life,  but 
he  had  never  been  so  enamored  of  study ;  he  had  philoso 
phized  upon  men  and  thing?,  but  never  had  he  so  flattered 
himself  that  he  saw  and  interpreted  aright,  as  while  he 
watched  the  unfolding  of  Havilah's  youthful  charms,  and 
read  a  new  treatise  upon  humanity  on  the  fair  and  open 
page  of  the  young  girl's  character. 


EL  FUREIDIS.  97 

But  there  were  moments  when,  despite  all  the  progress 
he  had  made,  he  felt  himself  suddenly  baffled ;  moments 
when  the  sympathetic  chain  seemed  broken,  and  he  could 
no  'longer  comprehend  the  emotions  veiled  beneath  Havi- 
lah's  countenance.  A  look,  a  word,  was  sometimes  enough 
to  call  up  that  expression,  so  strangely  sweet,  so  deeply 
incomprehensible,  which  had  awed  him  when  he  first  be 
held  her  in  the  village  church,  but  which  now,  as  then, 
he  failed  to  trace  to  its  mysterious  source.  It  was  no 
searching  glance,  no  pensive  melancholy,  which  thus  stole 
over  the  face,  rested  there  a  moment,  then  vanished  grad 
ually  away,  or  melted  into  a  smile ;  it  was  but  the  reflection 
of  an  inward  communing,  a  look  such  as  infants  sometimes 
wear  when  mothers  say,  "  Hush  !  the  angels  whisper  to 
them."  Let  it  come  when  or  how  it  would,  however,  let  it 
overspread  the  face  for  a  moment  only,  or  linger  upon  it 
for  hours,  it  never  failed  to  check  the  young  man's  pre 
sumptuous  faith  in  his  own  penetration,  to  throw  him  back 
to  the  earliest  point  in  his  acquaintance  with  Havilah,  and 
impress  him  with  the  conviction  that,  after  all,  he  understood 
scarce  anything  of  her  inner  nature. 

He  little  knew  that,  while  he  lent  himself  to  the  engrossing 
study  of  her  heart  and  life,  daily  becoming  more  familiar 
with  every  external  gift  and  grace,  and  arrested  only  on  the 
verge  of  the  spiritual  realm,  she,  through  the  power  of  her 
own  simplicity,  was  reading  and  comprehending  him  as  no 
mortal  had  ever  done  before,  —  that  with  the  clearness  of  an 
unsophisticated  mind  she  was  weighing  him  in  the  balance, 
and  that  by  the  intuition  of  her  own  pure  spirit  she  had 
probed  the  depths  of  his  unsatisfied  soul,  and  had  beheld 
the  void  within. 

"We  have  said  that  there  was  nothing  clandestine  in  the 
conduct  or  views  of  Meredith.  Still  less  did  it  occur  to  his 
5  a 


98  EL  FUBEIDIS. 

simple-minded  entertainers  to  attribute  to  him  any  other 
interest  in  their  household  than  that  of  a  friendly  guest; 
and  looking  upon  him  merely  in  the  light  of  an  intelli 
gent  and  earnest  traveller,  they  sought,  not  to  engross  his 
society,  but  to  facilitate  his  acquaintance  with  the  beauties, 
the  antiquities,  and  the  natural  resources  of  their  Syrian 
home. 

Had  he  been  wanting  in  the  enthusiasm  requisite  to  the 
Oriental  traveller,  he  could  not  have  failed  to  find  inspira 
tion  in  El  Fureidis.  Both  M.  Trefoil  and  M.  Lapierre  had 
implicit  faith  in  Syria,  —  the  one  in  its  internal  capabilities, 
its  striking  position  among  nations,  its  industrial  facilities, 
and  its  future  destiny  as  the  depot  and  mart  of  Eastern 
and  Western  commerce;  the  other,  in  its  soul-stirring 
memories,  its  incomparable  beauties,  its  historical  and 
scientific  records,  its  ever-living  verdict  in  confirmation 
of  recorded  truth. 

True  enthusiasm  seldom  fails  to  make  converts ;  and 
both  these  ardent  men  found  in  Meredith  a  ready  disciple 
to  their  creed.  Each  vied  with  the  other  in  exciting  his 
interest  and  riveting  his  attention,  and  each  in  turn  had  the 
satisfaction  of  awakening  his  sympathetic  zeal,  and  seeing 
with  what  unflagging  devotion  he  engaged  in  their  favorite 
explorations  and  researches. 

Many,  therefore,  were  the  schemes  that  were  formed,  the 
excursions  that  were  mapped  out,  for  the  benefit  of  our  trav 
eller,  and  the  promotion  of  the  objects  which  he  cherished 
in  common  with  his  new  friends.  Some  of  these  expedi 
tions  led  to  places  of  interest  in  the  neighborhood,  and  occu 
pied  but  a  single  day  ;  others  were  of  greater  magnitude, 
giving  rise  to  extensive  preparation,  and  not  infrequently 
involving  exciting  incident  and  adventure.  In  the  former 
case,  M.  Lapierre  and  Havilah  were  usually  Meredith's 


EL  FUREIDIS.  99 

companions  ;  in  the  latter,  he  was  accompanied  only  by 
hired  guides,  or,  as  business  cares  became  less  pressing,  by 
M.  Trefoil,  who  on  one  occasion  joined  him  on  an  interesting 
circuit  among  the  mountains,  including  a  visit  to  some  of 
the  cities  of  the  sea-coast,  and  occupying  no  less  than  a 
week. 

It  must  be  confessed,  however,  that  while  fully  appreciat 
ing  the  information  gained  in  these  more  extended  tours, 
the  most  grateful  feature  attending  them,  in  Meredith's  esti 
mation,  was  the  cordial  welcome  home  ;  and  that  he  gave 
his  unhesitating  preference  to  those  shorter  and  less  preten 
tious  journeys,  when,  accompanied  by  the  hoary  old  man  and 
the  light-footed  maiden,  he  spent  the  day  among  the  Baruk 
mountains,  and  returned  at  night  to  the  sweet  seclusion  of 
the  villa. 

It  was  on  these  occasions  that  he  realized  most  fully  the 
pleasures  of  congenial  intercourse,  and  gained  a  closer  knowl 
edge  of  Havilah's  peculiar  graces  of  intellect  and  heart ; 
for,  though  Father  Lapierre's  was  ever  the  leading  mind,  the 
old  man  wisely  forbore  to  exercise  any  restraint  upon  his 
cherished  pupil,  but,  satisfied  with  the  protection  his  pres 
ence  afforded,  left  to  her  all  the  minor  duties  of  hostess  and 
guide,  for  which  she  was  admirably  fitted.  It  was  on  these 
occasions,  too,  that,  unconsciously  to  himself,  the  character 
istic  bias  of  Meredith's  mind  was  not  infrequently  exhibited, 
though  in  those  delicate  lines  of  light  and  shade  perceptible 
only  to  a  pure  and  exalted  sensibility. 

This  unique,  but  as  it  were  organized  trio  of  pedestrian?, 
were  returning  one  evening  from  a  pilgrimage  to  the  little 
village  of  Baruk,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  mountain  to 
that  on  which  El  Fureidis  is  situated.  It  was  near  the  hour 
of  sunset,  and,  as  they  approached  the  topmost  verge  of  the 
mountain,  Meredith  and  Havilah  instinctively  quickened 


100  EL  FUREIDIS. 

their  footsteps,  that  they  might  enjoy  the  magnificent  pros 
pect  which  the  elevation  afforded  while  yet  clothed  in  the 
gorgeous  western  light.  The  path,  as  usual,  was  precipitous, 
and  Father  Lapierre,  who,  though  an  equally  skilful,  was  a 
far  less  agile  climber,  continued  somewhat  in  the  rear,  and, 
proceeding  with  firm  but  measured  step,  was  still  at  the 
foot  of  the  final  acclivity  when  his  companions  gained  the 
summit. 

Meredith  had  stood  with  entranced  vision  upon  many  of 
the  glorious  heights  of  Lebanon,  but  never  had  the  circum 
stance  and  the  hour  combined  to  impart  such  sublimity  to 
the  scene.  Far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  in  every  direction,  it 
commanded  a  panorama  of  mingled  beauty  and  grandeur, 
from  the  yellow  corn-fields  and  dusky  olive-groves  of  the 
Eastern  plain  to  the  clear  blue  waters  of  the  Mediterranean, 
which  terminated  the  western  view.  Here  stretched  a  long 
mountain  line,  the  fertile  sides  of  the  nearer  hills  clothed 
with  terraced  groves  and  vineyards,  and  embosoming  white 
villages  in  their  sheltered  nooks.  Yonder  might  be  seen 
distant  and  more  rugged  crags,  bristling  with  precipices  of 
tawny  rock,  seamed  with  dark-brown  veins,  and  clothed  at 
intervals  with  the  heavy  foliage  of  the  fir  and  pine.  Tow 
ering  above  all,  the  hoary  Hermon  reared  its  lofty  crest, 
capped  with  snow  which  glistened  like  silver  in  the  light  of 
the  setting  sun.  Far  away  against  the  horizon  might  be 
dimly  discerned  the  graceful  outline  of  lesser  ridges,  which, 
veiled  in  misty  blue,  seemed  to  melt  into  the  very  ether  ;  and 
along  the  shore  of  the  placid  sea  might  be  traced  the  undu 
lating  curves  of  the  sandy  coast,  with  the  white  walls  and 
towers  of  Beyrout  standing  boldly  out  against  their  dark 
background  of  orchards,  gardens,  and  groves.  If  anything 
could  have  served  to  add  dignity  to  such  a  scene,  it  was 
furnished  by  the  solemn  memorials  of  the  past  which  were 


EL  FUREIDIS.  101 

scattered  at  the  very  feet  of  the  beholder.  On  the  moun 
tain  summit,  thrown  together  in  wildest  confusion,  either  by 
an  earthquake  or  the  mighty  hand  of  some  human  destroyer, 
lay  the  ruins  of  an  ancient  temple,  such  as  are  frequent 
in  these  regions,  and  which,  although  their  precise  origin  is 
unknown  to  the  traveller,  are  in  themselves  impressive 
chroniclers  of  a  once  powerful  race  and  age,  the  lofty  por 
ticos,  broken  pilasters,  and  huge  levelled  blocks  of  stone 
telling  of  the  majestic  hand  which  reared  them,  —  a  hand 
only  less  mighty  than  that  which  hurled  them  down. 

Seated  on  a  fallen  column,  impressed  by  the  sublimity  of 
the  scene,  and  scarcely  less  so  perhaps  by  its  perfect  re 
pose,  Meredith  and  Havilah  gazed  upon  the  prospect  for  a 
while  in  a  silence  which  was  at  length  broken  by  the  former. 
"  No  wonder,"  exclaimed  he,  "  that  the  old  poets  of  Syria 
•were  inspired  by  such  visions  of  nature  as  they  were  per 
mitted  to  enjoy !  No  wonder  that  their  imagery  is  un 
equalled  in  beauty  and  grandeur,  since  it  was  drawn  from 
such  a  source ! "  and  with  the  eloquent  tongue  of  one  whose 
artistic  and  poetical  enthusiasm  is  aroused,  he  repeated,  not 
without  fine  effect,  some  of  those  many  passages  of  the 
ancient  prophets  descriptive  of  the  greatness  and  glory  of 
Lebanon. 

Havilah  listened  with  pleasure  to  the  recital,  half  wonder 
ing,  meanwhile,  at  Meredith's  familiarity  with  Scripture. 
He  had  scarcely  finished,  when  the  venerable  head  of  Father 
Lapierre  appeared  above  the  bare  rocks  which  lined  the 
mountain  pass,  the  hood  of  his  black  cloak  having  fallen 
back,  permitting  the  light  evening  breeze  to  sway  his  hoary 
locks,  while  his  noble  countenance  was  lit  by  an  expression 
of  beatific  joy.  The  sun  sunk  to  the  verge  of  the  horizon 
at  the  very  moment  when  the  old  man  planted  his  foot  on  a 
heavy  fragment  of  rock  just  above  the  fallen  column  on 


102  EL  FUREIDIS. 

which  his  companions  were  seated,  and  at  the  same  instant 
the  vesper-bells  of  the  neighboring  village  sounded  a  musical 
stroke,  which  was  echoed  from  cliff  to  cliff,  —  was  answered 
by  more  distant  peals  from  the  various  convents  among  the 
mountains,  and  all  the  notes  in  turn  were  caught  up  and  re 
echoed  through  height  and  valley,  until  the  air  rang  with 
the  sacred  chime. 

As  the  monitory  sounds  died  away  upon  the  air,  the 
majestic  old  man,  whose  figure  seemed  to  expand  in  the 
glowing  light,  pointed  with  one  hand  towards  the  expiring 
rays  of  the  sun,  which  were  gilding  earth  and  sea,  then, 
stretching  the  other  towards  the  slender  crescent  just  dis 
cernible  in  the  topmost  ether,  broke  forth  with  grave  em 
phasis  in  the  words  of  the  Psalmist :  — 

" '  He  looketh  on  the  earth,  and  it  trembleth ;  He  toucheth 
the  hills,  and  they  smoke.  Man  goeth  forth  unto  his  work 
and  to  his  labor  until  the  evening.  O  Lord,  how  manifold 
are  thy  works !  in  wisdom  hast  thou  made  them  all :  the 
earth  is  full  of  thy  riches.  The  glory  of  the  Lord  shall 
endure  forever!  I  will  sing  unto  the  Lord  as  long  as  I 
live.  My  meditation  of  him  shall  be  sweet.  I  will  be 
glad  in  the  Lord.'" 

The  sacred  harpist  of  Israel  himself  could  scarcely  have 
looked  more  sweetly  sanctified  than  did  the  holy  man  who 
thus  gave  vent  to  his  feelings  in  worship.  Havilah  had 
been  impressed  by  the  appropriateness  of  Meredith's  Scrip 
tural  allusions,  but  a  deeper  sympathetic  chord  was  struck 
as  the  saintly  priest  rose  above  the  worship  of  nature,  and 
poured  out  his  soul  in  gladness  to  the  Lord.  She  rose  from 
her  seat  beside  Meredith,  gently  drew  near  to  the  old  man, 
locked  her  arm  within  his,  and,  while  the  Englishman  coolly 
took  out  his  drawing-materials  and  commenced  a  sketch, 
she  followed  the  serene  flight  of  her  soul's  best  friend,  and, 


EL  FUREIDIS.  103 

soaring  beyond  the  confines  of  this  mortal  realm,  both  spirits 
felt  themselves  for  a  while  transported  into  the  nearer 
Presence  before  the  throne  of  God. 

When  Meredith  looked  up  from  the  complicated  outlines 
of  his  unfinished  drawing,  that  look  was  on  Havilah's  face 
which  he  had  vainly  tried  to  understand.  "With  her  wonted 
courtesy  she  approached  and  examined  his  sketch,  but  her 
thoughts  had  been  ranging  beyond  the  sphere  which  can  be 
measured  by  angles  and  lines,  and  she  could  not  at  once 
bring  herself  to  the  comprehension  of  those  rules  of  art 
with  which  her  English  friend  had  lately  sought  to  acquaint 
her. 

When,  therefore,  Father  Lapierre,  who  remembered  the 
difficulties  of  the  return-path  to  the  villa,  suggested  that  they 
should  commence  the  descent  before  the  shades  of  night 
overtook  them,  Meredith  closed  with  alacrity  the  book  whose 
fly-leaf  had  served  him  for  a  tablet,  and,  with  a  mind  sin 
gularly  out  of  tune,  accompanied  his  friends  down  the 
mountain,  oppressed  with  the  undefined  consciousness  that 
the  old  man  and  the  young  girl  were  in  the  enjoyment  of 
a  communion  of  spirit  from  which  he  was  ungenerously 
excluded. 

The  book  which  had  furnished  Meredith  with  drawing- 
paper,  and  which  was  seldom  absent  from  him  in  his  ram 
bles,  was  the  same  sacred  volume  which  had  suggested 
to  him  words  of  beauty,  and  had  dictated  to  Father  La 
pierre  a  hymn  of  praise.  This  English  pocket-Bible,  which 
served  our  traveller  as  text-book,  manual,  and  guide  in  his 
journeyings  and  explorations  through  Palestine,  bore  many 
marks  of  the  frequency  with  which  it  was  called  into 
requisition.  Its  margins  were  crowded  with  annotations 
and  references,  numerous  leaves  were  turned  down  at  the 
corners,  or  had  slips  of  paper  inserted  between  them,  and 


104  EL  FUREIDIS. 

in  general  appearance  it  resembled  not  a  little  the  note 
book  of  a  man  of  business. 

It  was  produced  for  consultation  on  all  occasions,  and 
was  the  arbiter  in  all  doubtful  questions  of  Hebrew  litera 
ture,  Syrian  route,  and  antiquarian  research.  In  the  long 
evening  conversations  on  the  housetop,  when  Havilah, 
seated  on  the  upper  stair,  with  her  head  resting  against 
her  father's  knee,  listened  to  the  discussion  of  excursions 
that  were  past  or  the  arrangements  for  future  travels,  the 
unquestioned  facts  of  Scripture  were  the  invariable  records 
with  which  experiences  were  compared  or  expectations 
adduced ;  and  of  nothing  could  Meredith  be  more  unjustly 
accused  than  of  indifference  to  the  authority  which  in  this 
view  he  found  invaluable.  To  Havilah's  clear  percep 
tions,  however,  nothing  so  fully  held  the  mirror  up  to  this 
man's  nature  as  his  estimation  of  the  volume  to  her  so 
precious.  It  taught  him  the  way,  but  not  the  only  way,  — 
the  truth,  but  not  the  highest  truth ;  for  he  had  yet  to  learn 
that  he  bore  with  him  in  his  wanderings  the  spirit's  com 
pass  and  the  soul's  great  guide. 


EL  FUREIDIS.  105 


CHAPTER    XI. 

THE  summer  had  passed.  The  silk-worms  had  spun  their 
cocoons  and  perished.  The  harvests  of  corn  and  wheat  had 
been  beaten  out  on  the  clay  threshing-floor,  and  gathered 
into  the  garners.  The  olive-trees  had  been  shaken,  the  ripe 
fruit  heaped  into  the  laps  of  the  laughing  maidens,  and  the 
portion  that  still  clung  to  the  boughs  left  for  the  wayfarer 
and  the  gleaner.  The  grapes  had  ripened  on  the  vine,  in 
clusters  as  rich  and  heavy  as  those  which  the  ancient 
Hebrews  brought  from  Eschol  to  the  prophet  when  they 
went  to  spy  out  the  wealth  of  the  land.  The  noise  of  the 
vintage-shouting  had  gone  up  as  the  men  and  boys  trod  out 
the  rich  wine  in  the  wine-presses.  The  time  of  labor  was 
over,  and  the  short  season  of  rest  had  come  to  the  husband 
man.  Abdoul,  according  to  promise,  had  returned  from  the 
desert.  The  noble  steeds  of  pure  Arab  blood,  which  the 
sheik's  son  had  purchased  for  the  Frank  from  the  best  that 
his  tribe  could  boast,  chafed  within  their  stalls,  snuffed  the 
air  with  their  nostrils,  pawed  the  ground,  and  panted  with 
impatience  at  their  new  master's  long  delay.  And  still  the 
Englishman  lingered  in  El  Fureidis. 

It  was  now  the  month  of  October,  the  annual  period,  not 
of  rest  only,  but  of  festivity  to  the  peasant  of  the  Lebanon, 
and  the  village  of  El  Fureidis  was  rife  with  mirth  and 
gayety  in  honor  of  the  nuptials  of  Asaad  and  Hendia, — 
Asaad,  the  native  overseer  in  the  factory  of  M.  Trefoil, — 
Hendia,  the  comely  daughter  of  Tyiby  (the  good). 
5* 


106  EL  FUEEIDIS. 

It  was  a  universal  holiday.  The  factory  bells  were  ring 
ing,  not  with  the  monotonous  sound  which  was  wont  to 
summon  the  artisans  to  their  work,  but  with  the  gleeful 
notes  of  jubilee.  The  village  matrons,  clothed  in  their  best, 
and  proudly  bearing  on  their  heads  the  heavy  tantours,  — 
tokens  of  their  own  matrimonial  dignity,  —  were  wending 
their  way  to  the  cottage  of  Yoosoof,  each  bearing  some 
trifling  gift  to  the  bride.  The  young  men,  with  rude  instru 
ments  of  music  in  their  hands,  were  already  forming  the 
procession  which  was  to  serve  as  an  escort  to  the  bride 
groom.  The  master's  daughter,  without  whose  presence  the 
ceremony  would  scarcely  have  been  deemed  complete,  was 
dressed  in  gala  attire,  and,  followed  by  her  bounding  gazelle, 
was  now  roaming  through  lanthe's  garden,  gathering  flowers 
from  which  to  weave  with  her  own  hands  the  bridal  chaplets ; 
while  the  master  himself,  standing  on  his  house-top,  gazed 
with  satisfaction  on  the  groups  of  gay  and  prosperous  vil 
lagers,  then  turned  to  address  a  remark  to  Meredith,  who 
stood  beside  him. 

"  It  does  my  heart  good,"  said  the  benevolent  manufac 
turer,  "  to  see  my  people  so  happy.  I  call  them  mine,  and 
I  assure  you  I  feel  like  a  father  to  them  all.  This  village 
was  one  of  the  least  thriving  of  the  neighborhood  when  I 
settled  here,  Mr.  Meredith.  The  siroccos  had  for  several 
years  in  succession  injured  the  crops,  the  terraces  had  fallen 
into  decay,  conscription  and  taxes  had  depopulated  and  im 
poverished  the  place,  and  feuds  between  the  Druses  and 
Maronites  had  effected  still  worse  results.  But  you  see 
what  we  have  accomplished.  I  do  not  speak  boastfully. 
It  is  the  same  wherever  among  the  mountains  European 
arts  and  civilization  have  been  introduced,  —  or,  if  this  is 
more  fortunate  than  other  villages,  it  is  due  chiefly  to 
Father  Lapierre's  influence,  not  to  mine." 


EL  FUREIDIS.  107 

"  You  have  every  reason  to  be  proud,  —  the  proudest  man 
I  know,"  exclaimed  Meredith,  energetically ;  responding  to 
M.  Trefoil's  general  remarks,  but  with  a  gaze  fixed  upon 
his  daughter,  whose  figure  was  discernible  from  the  spot 
where  the  two  men  stood. 

"  O  no,  not  proud,"  was  the  prompt  and  sincere  reply ; 
"only  grateful.  But,  my  friend,  I  am  not  satisfied  yet. 
Thanks  to  your  liberal  aid,  I  mean  to  do  far  more  for  my 
self,  my  work-people,  and  the  example  of  our  neighbors. 
This  introduction  of  steam  into  my  factory  is  to  be  of 
essential  service.  Our  supply  of  water  is  ample,  but  irreg 
ular,  very  irregular.  This  new  agent  is  to  be  depended 
upon,  —  it  will  accomplish  wonders."  And  while  Meredith 
listened  in  a  half-absent  way,  his  host  proceeded  to  dilate 
upon  the  advantages  of  the  new  and  long-desired  experi 
ment,  which,  through  his  guest's  prompt  and  generous 
advancement  of  the  necessary  capital,  the  manufacturer  had 
been  recently  enabled  to  make. 

It  had  been  no  slight  satisfaction  to  Meredith  acciden 
tally  to  discover  a  method  by  which  he  could  defray  some 
portion  of  his  obligation  to  M.  Trefoil,  whose  expenditure 
had  so  kept  pace  with  his  success,  that  it  had  never  hith 
erto  been  in  his  power  to  make  the  projected  improvement 
in  his  machinery.  As,  however,  the  wealthy  Englishman's 
order  upon  his  banker  for  the  necessary  amount  had  been 
received  by  the  sanguine  manufacturer  in  the  same  care 
less,  unhesitating  spirit  in  which  it  was  offered,  it  had  been 
a  matter  of  scarcely  any  moment  to  Meredith,  who  would 
have  soon  ceased  to  remember  both  the  loan  and  its  object, 
had  they  not  been  subjects  of  such  engrossing  interest  to 
the  adventurous  and  eager  man  of  business. 

It  was  with  feigned  interest,  therefore,  that  Meredith 
listened  to  M.  Trefoil's  speculative  schemes,  until  his  atten- 


108  EL  FUREIDIS. 

tion  was  irresistibly  arrested  by  his  host's  remarking,  in  an 
apologetic  tone,  that,  owing  to  the  unusual  cares  which  his 
new  project  involved,  he  feared  he  should  not  be  able,  after 
all,  to  indulge  himself  in  the  proposed  excursion  to  Jeru 
salem. 

"  I  fear  I  have  been  very  selfish  in  this  matter,"  contin 
ued  the  simple-minded  man,  as  he  observed  the  expression 
of  regret  which  crossed  Meredith's  countenance.  "  I  have 
allowed  you  to  linger  in  this  neighborhood  an  unreasonable 
length  of  time,  awaiting  my  movements,  only  to  disappoint 
you  in  the  end.  I  was  perfectly  frank  in  my  intentions,  — 
that  you  will  not  doubt,  —  but,  to  be  candid  with  you,  I  do 
not  see  —  " 

"  M.  Trefoil,"  cried  Meredith,  abruptly  interrupting  him, 
while  the  color  mounted  into  the  Englishman's  face,  and 
his  eyes  were  for  an  instant  turned  away  from  the  garden 
on  which  they  had  hitherto  been  fastened,  "  do  not  mor 
tify  me  by  apologies.  Your  frankness  challenges  mine. 
It  is  I  only  who  have  been  selfish  in  this  delay.  I  have 
trespassed  most  unconscionably  on  your  hospitality.  I  have 
had  it  in  my  mind  to  depart  a  hundred  times ;  I  am 
ashamed  of  my  own  weakness,  for  I  dare  not  stay,  —  and 
yet "  —  he  paused,  then  concluded  with  the  vehement  utter 
ance  of  one  from  whom  the  truth  is  wrung  in  spite  of 
himself —  "  I  cannot  go." 

M.  Trefoil  looked  confounded,  less  at  the  young  man's 
words  than  at  his  manner,  for  he  had  withdrawn  a  few 
steps  as  he  finished  speaking,  and  stood  leaning  over  the 
parapet  to  protect  himself  from  the  puzzled  and  questioning 
gaze  which  the  manufacturer  fixed  upon  him.  But  the 
simplicity  of  M.  Trefoil  was  not  diminished,  however  his 
equanimity  might  be  disturbed  by  his  guest's  impetuous  out 
burst;  and,  preferring  to  give  to  it  the  most  natural  and 


EL  FUREIDIS.  109 

agreeable  interpretation,  he  approached,  laid  his  hand  on 
Meredith's  shoulder,  and  exclaimed  with  affectionate  warmth: 
"  You  are  not  a  man  of  the  world,  Mr.  Meredith.  You  like 
our  simple  ways:  so  much  the  better.  El  Fureidis  has 
charms  for  you.  In  this  you  and  I  sympathize.  Your 
English  friends  may  perhaps  be  wondering  what  keeps  you 
here,  but  I  —  " 

He  had  proceeded  thus  far,  when  he  was  checked  by  the 
sound  of  a  musical  voice  and  laugh,  and,  obedient  both  to  this 
and  to  the  fixedness  of  the  Englishman's  gaze,  he  gave  a  quick 
glance  over  the  parapet  into  the  garden  below.  A  glow 
of  loving  pride  overspread  the  father's  face  as  he  beheld 
Havilah,  her  graceful  throat  arched  and  her  head  slightly 
thrown  back,  as  she  looked  upward,  not  to  the  height  of 
the  parapet,  but  to  the  latticed  window  where  the  invalid 
lanthe  reclined,  watching  the  motions  of  her  daughter.  The 
garlands  of  flowers  were  completed,  and  the  gazelle,  stand 
ing  erect  beside  his  mistress,  triumphantly  supported  one 
around  his  neck,  while  Havilah,  laughing  at  the  little  crea 
ture's  air  of  participation  in  the  display,  held  up  the  other 
also  for  her  mother's  inspection. 

Never  had  the  mountain-girl  appeared,  either  in  her  fond 
father's  or  her  admiring  lover's  eyes,  so  sweetly  yet  royally 
beautiful.  The  latter  now  saw  her  for  the  first  time  in  her 
mother's  national  dress,  —  the  modern  Greek  costume, — 
which  she  wore  only  on  festive  occasions.  If  anything 
could  have  added  to  the  dignity  of  her  erect  carriage,  it 
was  the  little  embroidered  cap,  beneath  which  were  looped 
the  massive  braids  of  her  dark  hair,  and  whose  heavy  gold 
tassels  nearly  swept  her  shoulders.  The  gold  bordering  of 
her  velvet  jacket,  and  the  threads  of  the  same  rich  material 
interwoven  in  her  broad  Persian  sash,  glistened  in  the 
sunshine,  and  the  silken  pattern  wrought  upon  her  full 


HO  EL  FUKEIDIS. 

muslin  skirt  rivalled  the  floral  show  of  nature  around  her. 
But  more  than  all  the  aids  of  a  becoming  toilette,  the  glow 
of  an  innocent  heart  lent  loveliness  to  her  features,  and 
sympathy  with  others'  joy  gave  animation  and  vivacity  to 
every  movement.  She  did  not  see  her  father  or  his  com 
panion,  and  the  smiles  which  lit  up  her  face  were  meant 
only  for  her  mother. 

M.  Trefoil  gazed  upon  her  a  moment  in  silence,  then 
turned  towards  Meredith,  and,  the  latter  looking  up  at  the 
same  instant,  their  eyes  met.  Meredith  attempted  no  con 
cealment;  his  countenance  spoke  volumes.  With  an  em 
phatic  glance  in  the  direction  of  Havilah,  he  took  up  the 
conversation  where  it  had  dropped,  and  said  impressively, 
"  Can  you  wonder  ?  " 

The  light  which  suddenly  shone  into  the  honest  mind  of 
M.  Trefoil  was  as  complete  as  had  been  his  previous  blind 
ness.  For  one  moment  he  looked  bewildered,  almost  over 
whelmed,  with  astonishment.  Then,  as  Meredith  was  about 
to  turn  away,  with  that  air  of  reserve,  and  even  of  mortifi 
cation,  which  a  haughty  and  sensitive  man  feels  when  he  has 
humbled  himself  to  the  confession  of  a  secret,  the  sympa 
thetic  heart  of  M.  Trefoil  was  moved ;  he  started  forward, 
grasped  both  the  young  man's  hands  in  his,  and  exclaimed : 
"  No,  I  cannot  wonder ;  nor  need  you  be  ashamed  to  confess 
it,  if,  as  I  suspect,  you  but  share  the  weakness  of  us  all,  — 
the  mother,  Father  Lapierre,  the  village  peasants,  those  old, 
gray  monks,  that  wild  boy  of  the  desert,  and  even  the  little 
gazelle,  if"  —  he  hesitated,  looked  searchingly  in  Meredith's 
face,  then  concluded  abruptly  —  "  if  you  love  the  child." 

"  I  do,"  was  the  proud  Englishman's  answer. 

"  Does  she  know  it  ?  "  asked  M.  Trefoil,  earnestly,  a  shade 
of  paternal  anxiety  marking  the  countenance  usually  so  care 
lessly  confiding. 


EL  FUEEIDIS.  HI 

"  She  does  not,"  replied  Meredith  ;  "  nor  have  I  any 
knowledge  of  her  sentiments.  Until  this  moment,  indeed, 
I  have  never  fully  understood  my  own." 

"  That  is  well,"  rejoined  the  father,  in  a  relieved  tone,  at 
the  same  time  withdrawing  his  hands  from  Meredith's,  clasp 
ing  them  behind  his  back,  and  giving  several  affirmative 
nods.  "  That  is  well,  Mr.  Meredith.  She  is  such  a  child, 
such  a  mere  child,  what  should  she  know  of  love  and  mat 
rimony?  You  did  right  to  speak  to  me  first.  You  have 
acted  like  a  man  of  honor,  as  you  are.  And  you  shall  have 
her,  my  good  friend  ;  I  give  you  my  hand  on  that.  I  did 
not  realize  that  my  little  rose-bud  had  ripened  into  a  rose. 
I  had  not  dreamed" —  and  he  breathed  a  deep  sigh  — 
"  of  a  stranger  from  another  land  seeking  to  pluck  my  blos 
som  from  the  parent  tree.  I  never  would  have  believed  "  — 
and  the  broad  chest  heaved  convulsively,  while  the  voice 
grew  choked  and  husky  —  "that  I  would  have  given  my 
darling  to  the  first  man  that  asked  for  her ;  but  I  can't 
refuse  you,  Mr.  Meredith,  —  no,  on  my  soul,  I  can't.  You 
have  stolen  the  father's  heart,  and  you  shall  have  the 
child." 

"But  the  child's  heart?"  said  Meredith,  speaking  in  a 
tone  that  was  far  from  elated,  and  which  would  have  acted 
as  a  check  upon  a  less  sanguine  man  than  M.  Trefoil. 
"  You  forget  that  I  have  neither  stolen  nor  won  that." 

"  Tut,  tut,  man,  don't  disparage  yourself,"  said  M.  Trefoil, 
laying  his  hand  familiarly  on  the  shoulder  of  the  Englishman, 
and  resuming  his  wonted  air  of  easy  unconcern.  "  Is  such  a 
face  and  figure  as  yours-  to  go  a  begging  for  a  wife  ?  Why, 
if  I  were  a  girl,  I  'd  marry  you  myself,  my  fine  fellow  ;  and 
is  Havjlah  blind,  deaf,  and  cold  as  a  stone,  that  she  should 
close  her  tender  little  heart  against  the  man  whom  even  her 
doting  old  father  considers  worthy  of  his  child  ?  3N"o,  no, 


112  EL  FUREIDIS. 

I  '11  venture  to  say  you  have  not  been  paying  your  court  in 
vain,  Mr.  Meredith.  At  all  events,  we  '11  soon  come  at  the 
truth;  for  the  mother  must  know,  and  I'll  speak  of  the 
matter  to  her  to-night." 

"  By  no  means,  I  beg  of  you,"  entreated  Meredith,  with  a 
distressed  countenance  and  a  startled,  deprecating  gesture. 

"  You  are  not  in  earnest,  then  ? "  said  M.  Trefoil,  with 
frank  simplicity. 

"  Never  was  man  more  so,"  replied  Meredith,  in  an  im 
patient  tone ;  "  but  give  me  time,  I  beseech  of  you.  Let 
me  discover  the  truth  for  myself." 

"  What !  talk  of  love  to  the  child  !  Impossible !  That  is 
not  our  Oriental  fashion.  She  would  be  as  much  shocked 
and  startled  as  a  desert  fawn  at  the  whizzing  of  an  arrow. 
You  would  destroy  your  own  hopes.  So,  not  a  word  to 
Havilah.  Let  me  speak  to  the  mother;  and  if  you  wish 
for  an  advocate,  let  it  be  lanthe." 

Meredith  bit  his  lip.  His  face  was  dark  with  an  uneasy 
frown.  He  felt  that  he  had  committed  himself,  and  was 
bound  to  submit  to  the  dictation  of  this  unsophisticated  man. 
He  had  no  positive  wish  to  retract  his  words,  to  recall  his 
confession ;  and  yet  all  the  sentiment  and  romance,  as  well 
as  all  the  fastidious  reserve  of  his  character,  rebelled  against 
the  position  in  which  he  found  himself  placed. 

His  dissatisfaction  and  annoyance,  however,  were  either 
imputed  simply  to  thoughtful  earnestness,  or  were  wholly 
unobserved  by  M.  Trefoil,  who,  having  now  recovered  from 
his  first  bewilderment  of  surprise,  and  having  given  a  definite 
and  practical  form  to  Meredith's  involuntary  acknowledg 
ment,  proceeded  to  indulge  in  the  characteristic  exultations 
and  hopes  to  which  the  occasion  gave  rise. 

Good,  easy,  obtuse  soul !  He  little  suspected  that  the 
flattering  protest  with  which  he  hesitated  not  to  assure  his 


EL  FUREIDIS.  113 

guest,  that  he  was  the  man  of  all  the  world  whom  he  would 
have  chosen  for  a  son-in-law,  caused  the  aspirant  for  this  near 
relationship  to  wince  more  painfully  than  he  would  have 
done  at  the  closest  inquisition  of  his  character  and  claims. 
The  elated  parent  could  not  have  imagined  that  when,  with 
artless  garrulity,  he  indulged  fond  visions  of  the  future, 
the  fastidious  Englishman  shrunk  from  them  as  uncalled 
for  and  premature.  The  simple  pleasure-schemer  failed 
to  observe  that,  at  his  jocular  allusion  to  the  day  when  the 
village  bells  should  ring  a  louder  and  a  merrier  peal  in 
honor  of  the  handsome  Frank  and  his  Lebanon  bride,  the 
features  of  the  handsome  Frank  were  crossed  by  a  nervous 
thrill,  as  if  the  merry  bells  had  suddenly  rung  out  a  discord. 

Yet  so  it  was.  For  strangely  enough,  the  deepest  emo 
tion  Meredith  had  ever  known  —  an  emotion  the  depth  of 
which  he  himself  had  not  yet  fathomed  —  was  so  overlaid 
with  habitual  and  even  morbid  sensitiveness,  that  when  a 
less  haughty  and  fastidious  nature  would  have  glowed  tri 
umphantly,  he  only  felt  irritated,  trifled  with,  and  repelled. 

Meredith  was  not  a  vain  man.  Half  an  hour  before,  he 
would  have  drawn  encouragement  from  the  belief  that  any 
person  living  entertained  of  him  so  high  an  opinion  as 
Havilah's  father  hesitated  not  to  express.  He  was  not  a 
sanguine  man.  In  the  deeper  crises  of  his  life,  he  had  ever 
been  one  who  apprehended  failure  rather  than  success ;  but 
now  the  proud,  dreamy,  poetic  heart,  which  had  secretly  in 
voked  hope  to  its  aid,  chafed  under  and  well-nigh  disclaimed 
the  prompt  paternal  acceptance,  which  robbed  him  even  of 
the  pleasures  of  pursuit ;  and  if  anything  could  have  taught 
him  to  undervalue  the  object  for  which  he  was  striving,  it 
was  the  undisguised  readiness  with  which  the  prize  was 
stripped  of  its  romance,  and  thrust  upon  him  almost  before 
he  could  be  said  to  have  sought  it. 

B 


114  EL  FUREIDIS. 

So  while  the  light-hearted  manufacturer  rattled  carelessly 
on,  his  graver  companion  stood  by  him  in  dignified  silence, 
too  honest  to  feign  sympathy  in  M.  Trefoil's  excessive  exul 
tation,  too  proudly  courteous  to  interrupt  him  by  look  or 
gesture,  or  venture  to  set  limits  to  the  schemes  which  had 
sprung  from  the  confessions  of  an  unguarded  moment. 

But  our  hero's  natural  impetuosity  was  not  proof  against 
the  imperturbable  coolness  with  which  M.  Trefoil  presumed 
to  refer  the  young  couple's  fate  to  arbitration ;  and  this  point 
being  once  more  emphatically  alluded  to,  the  restraint  which 
Meredith  had  imposed  upon  himself  suddenly  gave  way,  and 
he  broke  forth  in  an  earnest  and  even  vehement  expostula 
tion,  inveighing  against  further  suspense  in  a  matter  which 
had  gone  so  far,  protesting  against  submitting  his  destiny  to 
any  one  save  Havilah  herself,  and  claiming  the  right  to  plead 
his  own  cause. 

"  There  is  no  occasion  for  suspense  at  all,"  responded  M. 
Trefoil,  with  a  persistency  none  the  less  provoking  because 
it  was  wholly  compounded  of  good  humor ;  "  I  will  speak  to 
lanthe  this  very  day,  and  as  to  pleading  your  own  cause," 
he  continued  in  a  persuasive  tone,  "  you  have  had  opportu 
nity  enough,  for  this  month  past,  and  shall  have  again." 

He  would  have  pursued  his  argument,  but  Meredith  inter 
rupted  him,  and  with  a  gesture  of  intense  irritation  ex 
claimed  :  "  You  acknowledge  that  I  have  had  every  oppor 
tunity  ;  you  must  also  acknowledge,  that  I  have  honorably 
forborne  to  make  use  of  it.  Why  not,  then,  trust  to  my  dis 
cretion  for  the  future  ?  I  hate  suspense,  to  be  sure,  but  this 
haste,  this  interference  is  —  is  — "  He  stammered  a  little, 
turned  very  red,  then  added  abruptly,  "To  tell  the  truth, 
I  was  not  prepared  for  it,  —  I  have  been  accustomed  to  rule 
my  OAvn  actions." 

He  had  forgotten  himself,  and  gone  too  far.     The  man  of 


EL  FUREIDIS.  115 

dull  perceptions  was  enlightened,  —  the  good-natured  man 
was  wounded.  His  injured  feelings  were  betrayed  in  the 
apologetic  yet  self-respectful  modesty  with  which  he  instant 
ly  responded  in  the  words  :  "  I  am  sorry  I  have  seemed  in 
haste,  Mr.  Meredith.  I  assure  you  I  am  in  no  haste  to  part 
with  my  child.  Perhaps  you  wish  to  retract.  In  that  case 
we  will  consider  the  past  conversation  unsaid." 

It  was  now  Meredith's  turn  to  be  mortified  and  abashed. 
He  was  a  gentleman,  the  descendant  of  a  long  line  of  gen 
tlemen  ;  he  began  to  fear  he  was  deporting  himself  like  a 
trifler  and  a  clown.  He  lost  no  time,  therefore,  in  renewing 
his  warm  protestations  and  hopes.  The  injured  father  was 
reassured  by  the  unmistakable  earnestness  with  which  the 
young  man  disclaimed  any  hesitation  in  his  choice  or  the 
pursuit  of  its  object ;  and  this  little  misunderstanding  re 
sulted,  as  such  contre-temps  not  unfrequently  do,  in  the  most 
amiable  and  most  yielding  of  the  parties  carrying  his  point. 

For,  as  if  to  atone  for  his  doubts,  M.  Trefoil's  next  move 
ment  was  to  lay  his  hand  affectionately  on  Meredith's  shoul 
der,  accompanying  the  action  with  the  words,  "  Forgive  me, 
my  dear  friend;  I  did  not  mean  to  wrong  you, — it  was  only 
a  father's  sensitive  pride.  You  own  that  I  have  reason  to 
be  proud  of  my  child ;  and  as  to  the  interference,  since 
you  term  it  such,  I  wish  only  to  give  your  suit  the  sanction 
of  our  approval.  Havilah  is  a  dutiful  girl,  and  habituated 
to  Eastern  customs.  So  let  her  mother  have  the  first  word. 
I  do  not  ask  it  for  myself,"  he  continued,  persuasively,  "  only 
for  lanthe's  sake.  Hark,  that  is  little  Geita's  voice,  calling 
to  let  me  know  that  the  procession  is  moving."  Then,  as  if 
taking  it  for  granted  that  a  full  submission  to  his  wishes  had 
been  conceded,  he  added,  "  I  will  whisper  a  word  in  lanthe's 
ear  before  I  go  to  meet  the  villagers.  Remember,  my  good 
fellow,  until  you  hear  from  me  again,  not  a  word  to  the 


116  EL  FUREIDIS. 

child  ; "  —  and  M.  Trefoil  cordially  shook  Meredith's  half- 
reluctant  hand,  and  pressing  his  own  finger  meaningly  to  his 
lip?,  as  if  to  enforce  silence,  hastened  down  the  staircase. 

Meredith  turned  on  his  heel,  folded  his  arras,  drew  his 
hat  over  his  brow,  and  commenced  walking  rapidly  up  and 
doAvn  the  terrace.  His  countenance  was  far  from  that  of  a 
favored  suitor,  furnished  with  full  credentials  by  the  father 
of  his  mistress.  Aggrieved,  dissatisfied,  indignant,  he  felt 
himself  robbed  of  his  prerogative,  both  as  an  Englishman 
and  a  lover.  The  hot  blood  mounted  to  his  temples  as  he 
contemplated  the  sacred,  and  until  now  well-guarded,  secret 
of  his  passion  for  the  mountain-girl,  held  up  to  the  light  of 
common  day  to  be  weighed,  discussed,  and  criticised  ;  his 
pride  was  stung  to  the  quick  by  the  thought  that  he  had 
involuntarily  suffered  himself  to  become  a  puppet  in  a  love 
drama ;  and  the  heart  which  had  been  all  aglow  with  fervor 
while  in  pursuit  of  his  fairy  bride,  was  chilled  by  the  sus 
picion  that  the  hand  so  confidently  promised  him  might  be 
placed  in  his,  not  by  choice,  but  by  the  fiat  of  a  family 
council. 

Let  it  be  said,  in  justice  to  the  candor  of  Meredith's  dis 
position,  that  his  vague  sense  of  injury  was  in  no  degree 
aggravated  by  his  imagining  himself  the  dupe  or  tool  of 
any  preconcerted  matrimonial  stratagem.  He  did  not  for  a 
moment  doubt  the  single-mindedness  of  his  honest  host. 
The  good  man's  simplicity  might  even  have  been  a  source 
of  amusement  to  the  young  Englishman,  had  it  been  exer 
cised  in  any  other  matter  than  one  which  affected  his  own 
dearest  interests. 

Still,  despite  his  generosity,  —  and  he  was  generous  to  a 
fault,  —  it  cannot  be  denied  that,  as  he  paced  restlessly  up 
and  down  the  narrow  terrace,  his  thoughts  insensibly  wan 
dered  to  those  broad  acres,  that  princely  rent-roll,  destined 


EL  FUREIDIS.  117 

one  day  to  become  his  own.  This  fair  heritage  was  no  secret 
to  M.  Trefoil.  Meredith  knew  the  weight  it  had  exercised 
in  many  a  matrimonial  scheme  vainly  projected  for  him 
heretofore.  Could  he  be  sure  that  in  the  present  instance 
it  would  not  bias  the  inclinations  of  an  ambitious  parent, — 
possibly  those  of  his  child  ? 

With  inward  misgivings  the  young  man  for  the  first  time 
strove  to  picture  the  mountain-girl  amid  the  scenes  of  his 
English  home.  Would  the  gay  wild-flower  of  the  Lebanon 
bear  transplanting  to  stern  British  soil?  Might  not  the 
bright  bird  of  the  Orient  pine  amid  the  stately  decorum  of 
an  old,  baronial  hall? 

Before  him,  in  this  moment  of  self-questioning,  rose  the 
image  of  his  dignified,  aristocratic  father.  He  had  ever 
been  lenient  towards  the  son  whose  contradictory  tastes  had 
thus  far  disappointed  him  at  every  step.  But  would  he  be 
likely  to  smile  approval  on  the  foreign  alliance  which  he 
would  naturally  deem  the  crowning  and  least  pardonable 
eccentricity  of  all? 

With  a  deeper  prophetic  instinct  still,  Meredith  called  to 
mind  his  stately  sister,  proud  as  himself,  and  far  more  con 
ventional.  Would  not  her  cold  and  unsisterly  greeting  send 
a  chill  to  the  heart  of  her  brother's  sunny  bride  ? 

Unwelcome  visions  were  they  all, —  the  offspring  of  an 
imagination  heated  and  ruffled  by  the  events  of  the  morn 
ing.  Still,  for  the  moment  they  exercised  their  sway,  and 
it  was  with  a  self-accusing,  half-repentant  pang,  rather  than 
with  an  ecstatic  hope,  that  Meredith  dreamed  himself  the 
successful  suitor  of  Havilah. 

Fie  on  him  for  a  presumptuous,  cold-hearted  lover !  Yet 
stay !  Let  us  remember,  ere  we  condemn  him,  that  lovers 
are  but  men.  Let  us  have  patience  too.  These  prudential 
considerations  float  only  on  the  surface.  We  have  not  yet 


118  EL  FUREIDIS. 

probed  the  depths  of  his  secret  heart.  We  do  not  know 
the  true  man.  He  does  not  yet  know  himself. 

But  hark !  what  sound  is  that  which  breaks  in  upon  his 
meditation,  checks  his  restless  step,  and  transfixes  him  at  the 
extremity  of  the  parapet  ?  It  is  merely  the  harsh  music  of 
a  drum  and  fife,  accompanied  by  the  shouts  of  a  village 
crowd.  What  sight  is  it  which  causes  a  sudden  kindling  in 
his  clear  blue  eye,  and  banishes  from  his  mind  every  other 
object  save  that  to  which  he  directs  his  straining  vision  ?  It 
is  simply  the  reflection  of  the  sunlight  on  the  gold  tassels  of 
a  little  Greek  cap ;  it  is  nothing  but  the  flutter  of  a  muslin 
robe,  which  vanished  from  the  garden  a  half-hour  ago,  to  re 
appear  in  the  foreground  of  the  nuptial  procession  now  wind 
ing  slowly  up  the  steep  bridle-path  which  skirts  the  mulberry 
grove.  There  is  a  moment's  struggle  between  pride  and 
passion ;  for  a  moment  the  aristocrat  and  the  lover  are  at 
war ;  for  a  moment  the  indignant  Englishman  leans  moodily 
over  the  parapet,  strives  to  still  the  beating  of  his  heart,  and 
vows  himself  an  alien  to  the  scene.  A  moment  more,  and 
where  are  the  harassing  visions  which  so  lately  disturbed 
his  mind  ?  They  have  melted  as  the  mountain  mist  flees 
before  the  sunshine  of  morning.  Where  are  his  hesitations 
and  his  doubts  ?  Scattered  to  the  ibur  winds  of  heaven. 

Obedient  to  an  impulse  stronger  than  them  all,  he  has 
bounded  down  the  staircase,  crossed  the  garden,  and  gained 
the  topmost  terrace  of  the  mulberry  grove,  which  commands 
a  prospect  of  the  rocky  pathway  up  which  the  procession  is 
slowly  filing.  For  an  instant  they  are  hid  behind  a  huge 
boulder  which  causes  an  abrupt  angle  in  the  narrow  pass, 
then  suddenly  they  emerge  into  view,  led  by  M.  Trefoil  and 
his  daughter,  who  are  closely  followed  by  the  gay  and  noisy 
train  of  villagers.  In  the  midst  of  them  walks  the  bride, 
modestly  bending  low  her  head,  which  is  covered  by  a  long 
white  veil. 


EL  FUREIDIS.  119 

Straightening  his  tall  figure  to  its  full  height,  Meredith  lifts 
his  hat  and  waves  it  in  the  air  in  token  of  •welcome.  The 
simple  peasantry,  gratified  by  so  unexpected  an  act  of  con 
descension,  sent  up  a  simultaneous  shout.  Availing  himself 
of  the  momentary  excitement,  M.  Trefoil  adroitly  slips  his 
hand  from  that  of  his  daughter,  and  with  an  arch  look  and 
an  expressive  gesture  motions  to  Meredith  to  take  his  place. 
Quick  to  comprehend  and  prompt  to  obey,  the  young  man 
leaps  down  the  terrace,  eager  to  assume  the  office  of  the 
manufacturer,  who,  heated  and  breathless,  stations  himself 
on  the  lower  stone  of  a  flight  of  steps  -which  leads  upward  to 
his  own  premises ;  and  here,  rejoicing  in  his  little  feat  of 
diplomacy,  reviews  the  procession,  and  salutes  each  couple 
as  they  pass.  Havilah,  smiling  with  innocent  amusement  at 
the  impromptu  manner  in  which  M.  Trefoil  has  summoned 
a  substitute  and  beaten  a  retreat,  places  her  hand  unhesitat 
ingly  and  confidingly  in  that  of  her  father's  guest.  With 
throbbing  heart  he  clasps  the  little  hand  in  his,  holds  it  as 
firmly  as  he  dares,  and,  triumphing  in  the  coveted  possession, 
outdoes  the  gayest  of  the  throng  in  the  elation  of  spirit  with 
which  he  conducts  his  lovely  partner,  and  marshals  the 
peasant  band  over  the  heights  leading  to  the  village  church. 

It  is  a  merry  festival.  All  hearts  are  light  and  happy,  all 
faces  bright  with  smiles,  —  all  save  one,  —  and  that  one  un 
observed  by  all.  It  is  the  bronzed  visage  of  the  Arab  boy, 
who,  as  the  bridal  train  moves  on,  slides  stealthily  down 
from  the  boulder  whence  he  has  watched  the  scene,  and  with 
scowling  brow,  clenched  fist,  and  menacing  gesture  creeps 
away,  with  noiseless,  cat-like  tread,  to  secure  some  other  van 
tage-point  where  unperceived  he  may  play  the  jealous  spy, 
and  whet  the  growing  hatred  which  he  secretly  nourishes  in 
his  wild  and  untamed  breast. 


120  EL  FUKEID1S. 


CHAPTER     XII. 

EVENING  had  settled  over  the  little  village.  The  prim 
itive  people,  whose  festivities,  like  their  labors,  subsided 
at  the  going  down  of  the  sun,  had  scattered  to  their  several 
homes,  and,  weary  with  merry-making,  had  sought  rest  in 
stillness,  if  not  yet  in  slumber.  Alone  on  her  couch  beside 
the  latticed  window  lay  lanthe,  listening  for  the  returning 
footstep  of  her  child.  The  casement  was  closed,  to  exclude 
the  chilly  autumn  night-air,  and  a  light  brazier  of  coals  in 
the  centre  of  the  apartment  created  an  agreeable  warmth, 
and  at  the  same  time  diffused  the  soft  odor  of  some  fragrant 
incense,  —  one  of  those  gentle  perfumes  grateful  to  Oriental 
senses.  On  a  bracket,  in  a  remote  corner,  burned  an  ala 
baster  lamp ;  but  the  subdued  light  which  it  shed  was  feeble 
in  comparison  with  that  of  the  clear  moonbeams  which 
poured  in  at  the  window  and  illumined  the  face  of  the  in 
valid,  the  pallor  of  whose  features,  discerned  in  this  silvery 
light,  was  scarcely  equalled  in  whiteness  by  the  snowy 
ermine  which  bordered  her  silken  pelisse. 

She  had  not  listened  long  when  a  slight  figure  was  re 
flected  on  the  opposite  wall,  a  bounding  step  fancied  rather 
than  heard,  so  lightly  did  it  tread  the  triple-plied  carpet,  and 
then,  softly  sinking  on  a  heap  of  cushions  beside  her  mother, 
Havilah  put  up  her  rosy  mouth  for  the  accustomed  kiss. 
Noiselessly  as  she  had  come,  her  presence  seemed  to  scat 
ter  life  and  brightness  through  the  room,  which  before 


EL  FUREIDIS.  121 

was  so  utterly,  almost  oppressively  silent.  The  moonbeams 
looked  less  cold  as  they  were  reflected  on  the  gold  tassels 
of  her  cap,  and  as  they  brought  out  in  clear  radiance  the  rich 
embroidery  of  her  jacket.  Her  dancing  step,  too,  betrayed 
innocent  glee,  and  the  tale  which  her  lips  were  eager  to  tell 
was  all  written  in  her  eyes.  She  had  passed  such  a  happy 
day.  The  sun  had  shone  so  brightly,  the  bride  had  looked 
so  fair,  the  bridegroom  so  gay  and  proud,  the  flowers  that 
were  scattered  over  the  happy  pair  at  the  altar  had  been 
so  beautiful  and  sweet,  the  villagers  had  seemed  so  glad ! 
"With  her  white  arms  crossed  upon  her  mother's  lap,  and 
her  beaming  face  upturned  to  the  moonlight,  Havilah  told 
how  opportunely  their  English  friend  had  joined  the  bridal 
escort,  and  how  joyously  his  voice  had  rung  in  the  con 
gratulatory  shout.  With  eager  accent  she  informed  her 
mother  of  the  munificent  sum  which  he  had  contributed 
to  swell  Hendia's  slender  dowry,  exclaiming  at  the  same 
time,  with  artless  wonder,  on  the  untold  riches  which  their 
guest  must  possess,  since  he  could  thus  generously  portion 
a  village  bride.  "With  girlish  merriment,  she  described 
the  scene  of  wild  confusion,  at  the  moment  when  the  young 
men  and  maidens,  according  to  custom,  showered  the  wed 
ded  couple  with  handfuls  of  corn  and  raisins,  and  her  un 
checked  laugh  rang  through  the  apartment,  as  she  told 
how  Asaad  had  thrown  high  into  the  air  the  pomegranate, 
whose  possession  was  believed  to  impart  the  marriage  con 
tagion,  —  how  the  young  men  had  watched  for  its  fall,  ambi 
tious  to  secure  the  prize,  but  how  the  tall  Englishman  had 
outwitted  and  vanquished  them  all,  by  bounding  upward  to 
an  astonishing  height,  and  catching  the  precious  fruit  in  his 
hand  before  it  had  touched  the  ground. 

lanthe  smiled  at  the  significant  character  of  this  wonder 
ful  feat  on  the  part  of  the  Englishman,  smoothed  back  her 
6 


122  EL  FUEEIDIS. 

daughter's  hair,  studied  her  artless  features  attentively  for 
a  moment,  then  said :  "  Some  bright  day  will  dawn  erelong, 
when  the  bridegroom  will  come  hither  to  seek  a  bride; 
whose  skilful  fingers  shall  we  then  employ  to  wreathe  a 
nuptial  chaplet  for  my  little  Havilah  ?  " 

The  little  Havilah  playfully  shook  her  head,  as  if  she 
already  felt  the  weight  of  the  garland,  and  sought  to  dis 
place  it  from  her  brow,  at  the  same  time  saying,  with  a 
sweet  mingling  of  archness  and  filial  devotion,  "  No,  no,  the 
mountain  bird  will  not  leave  its  mother's  nest  to  fly  away 
with  a  stranger." 

"  But  the  mother  must  forsake  her  fledgling,"  said  lanthe, 
gravely  and  solemnly.  "  Her  wings  are  spread  already,  and 
her  spirit  soon  must  soar.  The  eagle  which  has  seen  her 
young  happy  with  its  mate  looks  not  back,  as  she  flies 
upward  to  the  sun." 

"  When  God  takes  mothers,"  said  Havilah,  in  a  whisper, 
her  eyes  at  the  same  time  filling  with  tears,  "  himself  only 
can  fill  their  place." 

"  True,  my  child,"  rejoined  her  mother,  tenderly ;  "  but 
God  has  his  instruments  of  mercy  ;  he  sends  in  due  season 
his  messengers  of  love,  to  bind  up  the  wounds  of  his  little 
ones.  Yes,  Havilah,"  she  added,  cautiously  scanning  the 
girl's  face  as  she  spoke,  "  there  may  be  a  friend,  ay,  an 
earthly  friend,  closer  to  one's  heart  than  a  mother." 

"  No,  never !  never ! "  exclaimed  Havilah,  vehemently, 
clasping  her  arms  round  her  mother,  and  hiding  her  head 
in  her  bosom. 

"  Did  not  Hendia  leave  the  good  Tyiby  with  smiles," 
questioned  lanthe,  "  and  go  joyously  to  the  home  of 
Asaad  ?  And  will  not  my  daughter,  too,  smile  through 
her  tears  on  the  bridal-day  that  gives  her  a  stronger  arm 
to  lean  on  than  that  of  her  invalid  mother  ?  " 


EL  FUREIDIS.  123 

"  Does  Mitera  indeed  talk  to  me  of  a  husband  ? "  cried 
Havilah,  lifting  up  to  the  light  a  face  which  suddenly  be 
came  suffused  with  crimson,  as  she  encountered  the  scruti 
nizing  gaze  which  lanthe  fixed  upon  her. 

"  When  lovers  plead,  mothers  cannot  be  silent,"  said 
lanthe,  meaningly ;  "  and  he  that  comes  in  honor  to  lay  a 
brave  heart  at  a  young  girl's  feet  deserves  an  advocate  and 
a  hearing." 

"  Who  comes  ?  what  heart  ?  Ah,  Mitera  is  jesting  with 
her  child,"  said  Havilah,  a  coy,  tremulous  smile  creeping 
over  her  features. 

"  Mitera  speaks  truth  ;  and  she  must  no  longer  call  herself 
a  child,  whom  the  noble  Englishman  seeks  to  make  his  wife," 
said  lanthe,  a  certain  degree  of  maternal  pride  betraying 
itself  in  the  tone  with  which  she  announced  a  worthy  suitor, 
and  asserted  her  daughter's  new  dignity  of  womanhood. 

She  was  startled  at  the  effect  of  her  words.  The  head 
just  now  resting  passively  on  her  breast  was  raised  with 
an  almost  convulsive  movement,  the  slight  form,  trembling 
with  agitation,  slid  from  the  arms  which  enfolded  it,  and 
the  face  in  which  youthful  joy  had  so  lately  been  reflected 
wore  a  mingled  expression  of  dread  and  pain,  as  Havilah, 
kneeling  beside  lanthe's  couch,  clasped  her  hands  fervently 
together,  and  exclaimed,  "  What  I !  Havilah  !  that  proud 
stranger's  wife?  No,  no,  my  mother,  never!" 

"  Hush,  hush,  my  child !  the  guest  of  many  weeks  must 
not  be  termed  a  stranger ;  and  if  he  is  proud,  how  much 
prouder  may  my  mountain  girl  be  to  have  won  his  love." 

"  He  is  a  stranger  to  my  heart,"  was  the  prompt  reply. 
"  How,  then,  can  I  have  won  his  love  ?  Mitera  is  de 
ceived." 

"  Mitera  is  not  deceived,"  said  lanthe,  speaking  with  grave 
emphasis.  "  Mr.  Meredith  loves  my  Havilah,  and,  like  a 


124  EL  FUREIDIS. 

noble  suitor  as  he  is,  has  wooed  her  fairly  at  her  father's 
hands.  It  does  not  become  my  daughter  to  answer  rashly, 
or  repulse  with  childish  haste  the  honorable  man  who  has 
the  approval  of  both  her  parents  to  enforce  his  claims." 

The  feverish  glow  subsided  on  Havilah's  face,  the  impet 
uous  expression  was  subdued  to  one  of  meek  humility  at 
this  implied  rebuke,  and  she  listened  in  deferential  silence 
while  her  mother  continued,  accompanying  her  words  with 
graceful  Oriental  gesture :  "  My  Havilah  is  a  mountain  sap 
ling,  swayed  by  every  breeze,"  —  and  lanthe's  thin  white 
hand,  as  she  spoke,  was  waved  rapidly  to  and  fro ;  "  the 
Englishman  is  the  granite  rock,  which  stems  the  dashing 
torrent,"  —  and  here  the  mother  gave  emphasis  to  her  words 
by  laying  her  hand  firmly  and  impressively  on  the  young 
girl's  shoulder.  "  Were  it  not  maidenly,  were  it  not  wise, 
that  the  slight  thing  of  a  summer's  growth  should  beware 
how  she  refuse  to  plant  the  roots  of  her  young  life  on  so 
grand,  so  sure  a  foundation  ?  " 

"  The  Englishman  is  manly,  generous,  and  brave,"  said 
Havilah,  musingly. 

"  He  comes  of  a  lordly  race,"  said  lanthe,  eagerly  catch 
ing  up  and  seconding  her  daughter's  commendatory  words; 
for  the  mother's  heart,  her  hopes,  her  wishes,  were  all  with 
Meredith.  "  I  have  heard  it  said,  that  nature  boasts  no 
nobler  sons  than  the  men  of  his  British  isle,  and  he  de 
grades  not  his  ancestral  stock." 

"  He  is  rich,  and  learned,  and  wise,"  continued  Havilah, 
in  a  sort  of  pensive  soliloquy,  speaking  in  a  low  minor  key, 
which  gave  a  touching  plaintiveness  to  her  words.  "  He  is 
respectful  to  the  old,  and  bountiful  to  the  poor,  and  gentle  to 
the  mountain-girl,  who  would  gladly  repay  his  kindness,  but 
cannot." 

"  Cannot,  Havilah  ?      Does  my  daughter  count  up  her 


EL  FUREIDIS.  125 

lover's  virtues,  and  sound  his  praises,  and  acknowledge  the 
worth  of  his  heart,  then  thoughtlessly  pierce  it  with  an 
arrow." 

"  Havilah  sighs  over  his  virtues,"  was  the  grieved  reply  ; 
"  she  praises  him  through  grateful  tears  ;  and  if  an  arrow  of 
her  sending  wounds  his  heart,  it  will  rebound  and  strike  her 
own." 

Her  eye  was  moist,  her  voice  unsteady  with  emotion,  ere 
she  finished  speaking.  lanthe  was  puzzled,  doubtful. 

"  Alas,  my  daughter ! "  she  murmured.  "  "Why  then  this 
needless  pain  ?  Why  cannot  you  return  the  Englishman's 
love,  and  both  be  blest  ?  " 

"  My  mother,"  said  Havilah,  with  a  solemn  earnestness, 
which  gave  dignity  to  her  youthful  features,  "  do  you  re 
member  the  steep,  flowery  banks  of  the  Baruk  stream, 
which  rushes  down  our  Lebanon  cliffs,  and  pierces  through 
the  heart  of  the  distant  valley,  till  it  loses  itself  in  the  wild 
Leontes  ?  Do  you  remember  how,  in  long  parallel  lines, 
the  opposite  shores  of  the  narrow  glen  go  winding  together 
through  the  mountain  pass,  ever  near,  yet  ever  parted,  — 
sometimes  almost  meeting  above  the  dividing  torrent,  yet 
never  melting  into  one  ?  " 

"  I  remember  them  well,  my  child ;  what  then  ?  " 

"  Like  the  deep  ravine,  the  cold  impassable  gulf  which 
separates  the  twin  banks  of  the  Baruk,  is  the  deep,  dark  bar 
rier  which  sunders  my  heart  from  the  Englishman's." 

"  You  dream,  my  child,"  exclaimed  lanthe,  rising  upon 
one  elbow,  and  gazing  steadily  at  Havilah.  "What  possible 
barrier  can  exist  between  the  daughter  of  Augustine  Trefoil 
and  his  familiar  and  honored  guest?  Either  your  fancy 
wanders,  Havilah,  or  you  wrong  the  Englishman." 

As  lanthe  spoke,  Havilah  had  risen  from  her  kneeling 
attitude,  and  with  a  slow,  almost  majestic  movement,  quite 


126  EL  FUKEIDIS. 

unlike  her  usual  rapid  motions,  she  straightened  her  slight 
figure  to  its  full  height,  threw  back  her  head,  so  that  her 
whole  face  was  lit  up  by  the  moonlight,  and,  with  the  air  of 
an  inspired  prophetess,  said  fervently :  "  I  wrong  him  not, 
for  I  judge  him  not;  but  his  pathway  and  mine  lie  apart. 
His  God  is  here,"  —  and  she  laid  her  forefinger  on  her  fore 
head  ;  "  mine,  here,"  —  and  she  clasped  her  hands  upon  her 
heart.  "  I  might  scatter  his  gold  with  lavish  hand,  might 
strain  my  mind  to  comprehend  his  mental  height,  my  earth 
ly  heart  might  glory  in  his  fame,  but  he  could  never  be  the 
husband  of  my  soul." 

lanthe  was  awed,  was  overwhelmed,  and  could  only  ejacu 
late,  "  My  child !  my  little  one !  whence  so  much  foresight, 
so  much  knowledge  ?  Who  has  taught  you  this  ?  " 

"  A  voice  that  whispers  to  me,  here,"  answered  Havilah, 
pressing  her  clasped  hands,  more  fervently  still,  upon  her 
heart.  "  It  tells  me  that,  like  the  Baruk  banks,  the  English 
man  and  his  Lebanon  bride  might  dwell  beside  one  another 
in  outward  harmony ;  we  might  share  earth's  sunshine  and 
showers ;  the  flowers  on  our  bosoms  might  mingle  their  fra 
grance;  here  and  there,  the  surface  of  our  lives  might  blend; 
strangers  might  approach  the  brink,  and  have  no  suspicion 
of  the  disturbing  current  between ;  but  from  the  fountain 
whence  our  race  began  down  to  the  eternal  ocean  at  its 
close,  the  cold  stream,  the  dark  gulf,  would  divide  us  still." 

The  fire  of  an  earnest  nature,  the  solemn  conviction  of  a 
truth,  gave  warmth  to  Havilah's  tone  and  elevation  to  her 
manner,  as  she  uttered  these  words ;  but,  as  if  in  the  pause 
which  ensued  she  recognized  her  unwonted  temerity  of 
speech,  she  suffered  her  arms  to  droop  at  her  sides,  cast 
down  her  eyes,  on  whose  fringes  the  great  tears  were  trem 
bling,  and  stood  before  her  mother  in  all  the  humble  docility 
of  childhood. 

lanthe  leaned  back  upon  her  pillows,  gazed  absently  up- 


EL  FUREIDIS.  127 

ward  at  the  ceiling,  and  for  a  time  solemn  silence  between 
the  two  continued  unbroken.  Well  might  the  mother  pause 
awhile  to  muse  on  the  revelation  made  to  her  in  her  child. 
Could  this  be  she  whose  infantine  graces  had  at  once  re 
joiced  the  heart,  and  caused  it  to  tremble  at  her  youth  and 
inexperience  ?  Could  this  be  she,  whom  but  a  moment  be 
fore  her  anxious  parent  had  thought  it  fitting  to  remind  of 
her  ripening  womanhood  ?  Could  it  be,  indeed,  that  while 
the  aged,  the  prudent,  and  the  wise  had  been  deceived  by 
an  exterior  conformity  to  truth,  on  the  part  of  their  foreign 
guest,  this  girl  of  seventeen  had,  by  the  unerring  instinct  of 
her  guileless  soul,  read  deeper  into  the  mysteries  of  his  na 
ture,  measured  him  by  a  loftier  standard,  —  and  now,  rising 
superior  to  every  timid  doubt,  and  scorning  every  earth- 
born  ambition,  gave  full  and  fearless  utterance  to  the  noblest 
convictions  of  her  being? 

That  Havilah's  words  fell  as  from  prophetic  lips  was 
evident  from  the  fact  that  they  carried  instant  assurance  to 
the  heart  of  lanthe,  leaving  her  neither  the  power  nor  the 
will  to  gainsay  them.  It  was  not  without  a  pang,  however, 
that  she  yielded  to  the  weight  of  a  convincing  truth,  and 
saw  in  it  the  destruction  of  her  cherished  hopes.  Most 
bitterly  did  the  sense  of  disappointment  force  itself  upon 
her,  as,  after  a  few  moments  of  self-communing,  she  turned 
her  mild  eyes  mournfully  towards  Havilah,  and  beheld  her, 
no  longer  nerved  by  the  momentary  inspiration  which  had 
given  her  a  dignity  beyond  her  years,  but  standing  in  that 
attitude  of  mute  and  childlike  dependence  and  trust  habitual 
to  her  when  waiting  on  her  parent's  words.  All  the  mother's 
tender  concern  and  solicitude  were  aroused,  as  she  gazed  on 
the  girl's  youthful,  loving,  confiding  face.  All  the  events  of 
lanthe's  own  wedded  experience  passed  before  her  in  quick 
review.  The  fruitless  wanderings,  the  long  years  of  poverty, 
the  untold  privations,  the  mental  anxiety,  the  broken  health, 


128  EL  FUREIDIS. 

in  a  word,  all  the  reverses  of  fortune  which  she  too  well 
knew  had  been  due  to  the  recklessness  and  improvidence  of 
him  who  must  soon  be  left  the  widowed  parent  and  sole 
guardian  of  Havilah.  In  the  protection  and  love  of  their 
English  guest,  the  helpless,  wasting  invalid  had  hailed  a 
shield  for  her  husband  against  the  ills  of  fortune,  and  a 
refuge  from  every  earthly  exposure  which  might  threaten 
her  innocent  child.  lanthe  was  a  devout  and  humble  Chris 
tian  ;  but  the  deep  yearnings  of  her  human  heart  prevailed, 
and  for  a  moment  the  wife  and  mother  triumphed  over  the 
saint,  and  she  exclaimed,  in  a  tone  of  desperate  and  final 
appeal:  "If  the  voice  in  your  heart  speaks  truth,  Havilah, 
God  and  nature  forbid  the  banns.  But,  0  my  precious 
one !  by  all  the  love  and  duty  you  owe  your  mother,  do  not 
listen  to  any  false  or  suspicious  whisper  which  bids  you 
spurn  the  rich  offering  laid  at  your  feet  this  day.  England 
is  a  Christian  land,  her  sons  know  no  other  faith ;  we  have 
never  witnessed  any  meanness  or  deceit  in  our  guest;  he 
bears  himself  generously  and  nobly  towards  all.  M.  La- 
pierre  trusts  him,  so  does  your  father;  why  should  Havi 
lah,  the  youngest  among  us,  be  the  first,  the  only  one,  to 
doubt?" 

"  He  is  true  and  loyal  to  men,"  said  Havilah ;  "  would 
that  he  were  so  to  God ! " 

"  God's  holy  word  is  ever  in  his  hand,"  rejoined  lanthe, 
"  and  nature  is  to  him  an  open  book." 

"  He  has  a  scholar's  cold  faith  in  Scripture,"  said  Havi 
lah,  "  and  an  artist's  worship  of  beauty,  and  a  poet's  dream 
of  truth ;  but  who  can  trust  the  stream  which  has  no  living 
fountain,  the  fruit  which  is  hollow  at  the  core,  the  spirit 
which  is  not  linked  to  the  Highest?  To  the  unbelieving 
soul,  beauty  wears  a  taint,  knowledge  is  but  ignorance,  truth 
a  lie ;  and  what  can  he  know  of  love,  who  has  never  drunk 
from  its  sacred  spring?" 


EL  FUREIDIS.  129 

"But  he  loves  you,  Havilah,"  said  her  mother,  half 
reproachfully. 

"O,  love  is  a  strange  mystery  of  the  soul,"  exclaimed 
Havilah ;  "  he  loves,  perhaps,  as  he  can  love,  —  as  the 
breeze  loves  the  flower,  as  the  bird  loves  the  sun ;  but  not 
as  the  holy  ones  love  in  heaven  or  on  earth.  O  my  mother ! 
I  know  his  genius,  admire  his  gifts,  am  grateful  for  his  love ; 
but  my  spirit  testifies  not  with  his,  and  for  him,  alas !  my 
heart  is  cold." 

"  I  must  leave  you  alone  then,  my  darling,"  said  lanthe, 
mournfully.  "  I  had  trusted  (O  how  vain  are  our  earthly 
trusts !)  that  this  wealthy,  this  learned,  this  influential  stran 
ger  in  El  Fureidis  was  the  appointed  instrument  of  Heaven 
to  enrich,  to  elevate,  to  protect  my  child.  And  must  I  de 
part  and  leave  her  alone,  —  alone  to  bear  a  mother's  loss, 
alone  to  strengthen  her  bereaved  father,  and  to  soothe  his 
grief?" 

"  No,  not  alone,"  responded  Havilah,  speaking  not  in  a 
tone  of  asseveration,  but  in  that  spirit  of  petition  and  en 
treaty  which  rendered  each  utterance  a  prayer.  "  The 
Englishman  is  rich,  but  He  who  cares  for  the  lily  and  the 
sparrow  will  suffer  none  of  his  children  to  want ;  the  Eng 
lishman  has  a  mind  which  excites  a  simple  girl  to  wonder 
and  to  awe,  but  the  wisdom  of  this  world  is  but  folly  com 
pared  with  that  great  fountain  of  knowledge  at  which  every 
child  may  drink ;  the  Englishman  may  boast  of  power  and 
of  high  descent,  but  He  in  whom  I  put  my  trust  is  the  King 
of  kings." 

lanthe's  heart  was  calmed,  fortified,  subdued,  as  she  read 
in  Havilah's  face  the  evidence  of  a  soul  strong  in  the  Lord's 
own  might ;  and,  rising  from  the  couch,  she  laid  her  hand  in 
solemn  blessing  on  the  young  girl's  head,  saying :  "  It  is 
enough,  —  I  am  satisfied;  the  Englishman's  suit  shall  be 
6*  i 


130  EL  FUREIDIS. 

named  no  more.  I  would  have  yielded  my  child  to  the  pro 
tection  of  a  human  arm.  Shall  I  doubt  the  arm  of  the 
Lord?" 

A  long  embrace  succeeded,  and  a  tender  good-night ;  then, 
leaving  her  mother  to  solitude  and  rest,  Havilah  ran  to  her 
own  apartment,  threw  herself  on  her  cushioned  divan,  and, 
the  unnatural  calmness  she  had  hitherto  maintained  giving 
way,  now  that  all  occasion  for  self-restraint  was  passed,  she 
indulged  in  a  long  fit  of  weeping.  Not  that  any  secret  sen 
timent  of  partiality  for  Meredith  warred  with  her  sense  of 
duty,  for  she  had  spoken  the  simple  truth  in  the  interview 
with  her  mother ;  but  all  "the  sympathies  of  her  susceptible 
nature  were  aroused,  and,  giving  way  to  a  flood  of  sorrowful 
emotion,  she  wept  for  her  parents'  disappointment,  wept  at 
her  own  seeming  ingratitude,  wept  more  bitterly  than  all  for 
the  grief,  the  mortification,  of  him  concerning  whom  she  had 
divined  the  truth,  that  for  this,  as  for  all  the  trials  of  life,  he 
knew  no  antidote  or  consolation  save  a  fatalist's  philosophy 
and  a  stoic's  pride. 

lanthe,  meanwhile,  the  conflict  in  her  spirit  passed,  lay  on 
her  couch,  calm,  prayerful,  and  at  peace.  She  was  joined 
erelong  by  M.  Lapierre,  who,  in  his  double  capacity  of  med 
ical  and  spiritual  adviser,  seldom  failed  to  visit  the  invalid 
at  evening.  To  the  venerable  pastor  she  unburdened  her 
heart ;  and  had  one  painful  doubt,  one  lingering  regret,  still 
disturbed  the  serene  submission  of  her  soul,  it  would  have 
been  forever  dispelled  by  the  verdict  of  the  holy  man,  who 
listened  attentively  to  her  narrative,  with  the  air  of  one  to 
whom  a  weighty  question  is  for  the  first  time  presented, 
gazed  thoughtfully  on  the  floor  awhile,  then,  lifting  his  un- 
dimmed  eyes  to  the  mother's  face,  gave  solemn  confirmation 
to  Havilah's  decision,  by  atfirming,  in  words  from  which,  brief 
as  they  were,  there  could  be  no  appeal,  "  lanthe,  the  child 
is  right." 


EL  FUKEIDIS. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

THE  fickleness  of  the  human  mind,  its  susceptibility  to 
outward  and  accidental  impressions,  is  never  more  fully 
demonstrated  than  during  a  period  of  suspense.  We  have 
seen  how  Meredith's  shy  and  sensitive  distrust  in  the  merits 
of  his  suit  had  given  place  to  an  unwarrantable  confidence ; 
how  this  blind  confidence  had  in  its  turn  startled  him  into  a 
nervous  and  shrinking  dread  of  his  own  success ;  and  how 
both  these  emotions  had  been  suddenly  dispelled  by  the  mag 
ical  influence  of  Havilah's  presence  and  smiles.  Not  less 
contradictory  was  the  mental  state  of  the  ringleader  of  nup 
tial  festivities  in  El  Fureidis,  and  that  of  the  reserved  and 
solitary  man  who  sat  in  his  room  at  nightfall,  musing  on  the 
events  of  the  day.  The  one  was  roused,  exhilarated,  trans 
ported  beyond  himself  by  the  intoxication  of  the  scene  and 
hour.  In  the  full  enjoyment  of  the  society  which  he  most 
craved,  privileged  beyond  others,  and  unconscious  of  a  rival, 
he  had  forgotten  the  past  and  the  future  in  the  certainty  of 
present  rapture. 

It  was  but  a  natural  reaction,  which,  when  the  day  was 
done,  and  the  festive  drama  ended,  left  him,  who  never  in 
his  life  before  had  played  a  part  on  such  a  stage,  oppressed 
with  loneliness,  despondency,  and  that  mortifying  suspicion 
of  his  own  unbecoming  levity,  which  is  sure  to  take  posses 
sion  of  the  proud  and  serious  man  who  has  committed  him 
self  to  a  full  participation  in  any  extravagant  show  of  mirth 
and  gayety. 


132 


EL  FUREIDIS. 


Moreover,  each  moment  that  he  had  continued  in  the 
companionship  of  Havilah  had  secured  the  postponement 
of  that  unwelcome  crisis,  that  formal  and  delegated  procla 
mation  of  his  hopes,  to  which  he  had  been  involuntarily  hur 
ried  by  M.  Trefoil.  Now  Meredith  could  not  but  feel  a 
pang  of  regret  and  uneasiness  at  the  thought  that  he  had 
for  the  last  time  secretly  nursed  his  passion  for  the  beauti 
ful  girl,  and  that  when  they  met  again  he  must  perforce 
present  himself  before  her  in  the  light  of  an  acknowledged 
lover. 

This  idea  acted  as  anything  but  a  sedative  after  the 
excitements  and  fatigues  of  the  day.  The  young  man's 
blood,  too,  was  heated  by  exercise  and  exposure  to  the 
Syrian  sun,  and  it  was  in  vain  that  he  struggled  with  the 
restlessness  which  agitated  him.  Had  he  been  a  sentimen 
tal  boy,  he  might  have  cheated  time  by  wandering  forth  in 
the  moonlight,  and  watching  the  lamp  which  flickered  in  his 
beloved  one's  window.  But  Meredith  was  a  man  of  thirty, 
an  Englishman  too,  and  an  aristocrat  ;  and  the  romance 
of  his  nature,  deep  as  it  was,  lay  not  upon  the  surface. 
If  he  could  not  be  calm,  he  could  at  least  resolve  to  be 
so;  if  he  could  not  be  patient,  he  could  conduct  himself 
as  if  he  were. 

He  assumed  a  comfortable  position,  therefore,  on  his  di 
van,  called  for  his  narghileh,  puffed  regularly  at  it,  and 
•watched  the  curling  volumes  of  smoke  as  they  floated 
upward  in  the  moonlight,  with  as  much  intensity  as  if  these 
mimic  clouds  were  slowly  unrolling  scrolls,  on  which  were 
written  the  successive  pages  of  his  future  destiny.  This 
endeavor  to  cheat  himself  into  composure  was  so  successful, 
that,  the  pipe-tube  resting  idly  in  his  hand  for  a  moment, 
the  servant  who  came  to  bring  him  coffee  stepped  noise 
lessly,  believing  him  to  be  making  kef,  —  to  have  reached 


EL  FUREIDIS.  133 

indeed  the  ultimate  stage  in  that  process  which  signifies,  in 
Syrian  parlance,  the  luxury  of  repose.  Even  the  lynx-eyed 
Abdoul,  who  presented  himself  to  report  concerning  the  wel 
fare  of  the  Arab  horses,  still  under  his  charge,  paused  at 
the  open  alcove,  and,  his  penetration  for  once  at  fault,  was 
deceived  by  his  master's  affectation  of  ease,  and,  with  an 
Oriental's  deference  for  slumber,  left  his  errand  unfulfilled, 
and  crept  away  as  stealthily  as  he  had  come. 

But  though  the  feint  might  impose  upon  others,  it  could 
not  long  beguile  its  object,  or  soothe  him  to  self-oblivion ; 
and  the  jealous  malice  of  Abdoul  would  have  been  gratified, 
could  he  have  seen  the  discontented  and  irritable  haste  with 
which,  the  moment  that  he  was  freed  from  the  boy's  es 
pionage,  Meredith  pushed  his  narghileh-stand  impatiently 
from  him,  and,  rising  abruptly  from  the  divan,  paced  his 
room  with  folded  arms  and  rapid  step,  —  a  proceeding 
which,  during  the  remaining  hours  of  the  night,  alternated 
with  intervals  of  forced  tranquillity  and  unrefreshing  rest. 

Towards  morning  a  new  resolution  seized  him,  and  the  gray 
dawn  was  but  just  tinging  the  highest  cliffs  of  the  Lebanon, 
when,  donning  his  felt  hat  and  shooting-jacket,  and  flinging 
his  gun  over  his  shoulder,  he  sallied  forth  in  search  of 
Abdoul,  whom  he  proposed  to  make  his  companion  on  a 
hunting  excursion  among  the  mountains.  It  was  no  difficult 
matter  to  discover  the  boy,  whose  invariable  lodging  was  a 
little  hut,  —  a  mere  recess  in  the  more  spacious  apartment 
allotted  to  his  own  and  Meredith's  horses.  A  word,  too,  was 
sufficient  to  rouse  him  from  his  light  sleep,  and  the  quick 
shake  which  he  gave  his  lithe  limbs  and  flowing  drapery, 
with  the  hasty  settling  of  his  white  turban,  was  the  only 
adjustment  which  his  toilette  demanded;  for  the  Arab's 
striped  abaya  is  his  nightly  coverlid,  and  he  may  almost  be 
said  to  sleep  with  lance  in  rest.  It  was  a  more  serious  un- 


EL  FUREIDIS. 

dertaking,  however,  to  prepare  the  horses  for  duty,  —  to 
groom  them  with  that  nicety  of  skill  which  makes  the  coat  of 
the  desert  courser  rival  a  polished  mirror,  to  caparison  the 
animals  with  their  elaborate  housings,  to  hang  around  their 
necks  the  game-bags,  powder-flasks,  and  numerous  other 
requisites  of  a  shooting-excursion,  no  one  of  which  was  for 
gotten  by  the  thoughtful  and  practised  Abdoul.  All  these 
were  cares  which  would  not  admit  of  haste ;  and  the  imper 
turbable  gravity  of  the  youth's  demeanor  could  not  be  dis 
turbed  nor  his  deliberate  movements  quickened  by  the  impa 
tience  of  Meredith,  who,  having  loosened  and  fed  the  dogs, 
which  were  kennelled  near  by,  was  compelled  to  await  the 
pleasure  and  convenience  of  his  princely,  and  in  some  re 
spects  arbitrary  servitor. 

The  sun  had  just  reached  the  snowy  crests  of  the  moun 
tains,  as  the  two  huntsmen  left  the  village  behind  them  and 
wound  down  the  precipitous  bridle-path  that  led  through  the 
adjacent  valley,  and  thence  to  the  more  densely  wooded 
cliffs  beyond.  Morning  had  illumined  the  heights  of  the 
Lebanon,  which  glittered  like  hoar-frost ;  but  the  mantle  of 
night  yet  rested  on  her  valleys,  and  each  deep  ravine  was 
curtained  with  a  long  veil  of  mist.  High  up  in  the  blue 
ether  the  lark  was  singing  a  melodious  song ;  far  down 
might  be  dimly  discerned  the  majestic  eagle  or  the  greedy 
vulture,  hovering  expectantly  along  the  filmy  wreaths  of  fog, 
which  were  soon  destined  to  disperse  and  disclose  whatever 
prey  or  carrion  might  be  concealed  in  the  rocky  depths 
below. 

Every  tree  and  shrub  glittered  with  dew,  every  blossom 
and  vine  distilled  fragrance,  and  the  breeze,  which  came 
laden  with  sweets,  was  at  the  same  time  so  fresh  and  health- 
giving  as  to  carry  \vith  it  an  invigorating  glow,  a  fuller  sense 
of  vitality.  Meredith  could  not  be  insensible  to  the  inspir- 


EL   FUBEIDIS.  135 

ing  freshness  of  nature.  The  fever  which  had  marked  his 
night  vigils  subsided  as  the  cool  air  played  about  his  tem 
ples  and  the  refreshing  influence  of  morning  stole  in  upon 
his  spirit.  Life,  the  fresh  life  of  the  woods  and  glens,  was 
everywhere  astir.  The  sound  of  the  horses'  feet  started  out 
whole  coveys  of  red-legged  partridges  ;  the  quail  was  heard 
whirring  up  from  the  thick  underwood  which  lined  the  path 
way  ;  flocks  of  pigeons  were  cooing  amid  the  branches  of 
the  distant  fir-trees,  and  now  and  then  a  nimble  hare  darted 
before  the  eyes  of  the  huntsmen. 

The  American  Indian  is  not  more  quickly  fired  by  the 
detection  of  an  enemy's  trail  than  the  aristocratic  young 
Englishman  by  the  scent  of  game.  Thus,  preoccupied  as 
he  was,  the  force  of  habit  and  instinct  had  somewhat  the 
effect  of  sportsman-like  zeal,  and,  half  unconsciously,  Mere 
dith  reined  in  his  horse  and  poised  his  musket  with  artistic 
precision.  The  mental  agitation  under  which  he  labored, 
however,  betrayed  itself  in  the  fact,  that  in  this  instance  our 
hitherto  unfailing  marksman  missed  his  aim,  disgraced  a 
pedigree  of  noble  sportsmen,  and  afforded  a  momentary  tri 
umph  to  Abdoul,  who  was  the  first  to  bring  down  his  bird. 
The  boy  now  unhooded  a  beautiful  white  falcon,  which  he 
held  by  the  talons,  displayed  to  it  the  first-fruits  of  his  skill, 
then  flung  this  new  partner  of  the  chase  high  into  the  air. 
The  well-trained  hawk  fluttered  a  moment  as  if  bewildered, 
then  spread  its  wings,  and  soared  upward  until  only  the 
keenest  eye  could  follow  its  flight,  and  until  the  musical 
sound  of  the  silver  bells  attached  to  its  feet  was  lost  to  the 
ear.  Not  long^did  it  continue  aloft.  Its  piercing  vision 
had  marked  its  prey;  and  now,  with  lightning  plunge, 
it  shot  downwards  from  its  airy  point  of  observation,  and 
swooped  into  the  depths  of  the  valley,  from  which  the  mist 
had  by  this  time  dispersed.  An  interval  of  considerable 


136  EL  FUREIDIS. 

duration  ensued,  the  expectant  silence  being  only  interrupted 
by  the  shrill,  peculiar  whistle  with  which  Abdoul  gave  his 
signals  and  strove  to  recall  the  bird.  At  length,  the  sudden 
flapping  of  wings  proclaimed  its  faithful  return,  and  the  next 
moment  it  came  floating  up  the  side  of  the  precipice,  and 
laid  a  plump  partridge  at  its  master's  feet.  Its  services  were 
promptly  repaid  by  caresses,  by  a  jargon  of  compliments  ut 
tered  in  the  vocabulary  known  only  to  the  falconer  and  his 
hawk,  and  still  more  substantially  by  the  panting  bird's  being 
suffered  to  slake  its  thirst  with  the  warm  blood  of  its  victim. 

Meredith  meanwhile  had  watched  the  successful  chase 
and  victory  with  half-absent  interest,  peering  after  the  falcon 
with  persevering  steadiness,  and  admiring  the  perfection  of 
its  training.  Perhaps  there  mingled  with  his  satisfaction  in 
this  peculiarly  Oriental  sport  a  certain  sense  of  relief  at  the 
excuse  it  afforded  him  for  his  personal  indifference  to  taking 
part  in  the  day's  pastime.  At  all  events,  he  suffered  the 
rein  to  rest  loosely  on  his  horse's  neck,  and,  scarcely  taking 
the  trouble  to  reload  his  gun,  abandoned  the  field  of  adven 
ture  to  the  boy  and  his  favorite,  and  gave  himself  idly  to 
observation  of  the  chase. 

Again  and  yet  again  the  winged  emissary  was  despatched 
on  its  unfailing  errand.  The  game-bag  was  thus  filling  rap 
idly  ;  but  the  exhausted  falcon  occasionally  demanded  rest, 
and  at  frequent  intervals  the  cautious  Abdoul  replaced  its 
hood,  and  compelled  it  to  repose  against  his  breast,  its  talons 
firmly  grasped  in  his  small,  wiry  hand.  During  these  periods 
Meredith,  impatient  of  inaction,  urged  his  horse  over  moun 
tain  and  through  valley,  and  ere  noon  had  put  several  hours 
of  travel  between  himself  and  El  Fureidis.  The  road  was 
one  of  those  intricate  bridle-paths  known  only  to  expert  and 
adventurous  rovers  like  Abdoul,  and  wholly  unfamiliar  to 
Meredith.  It  was  with  excited  surprise,  therefore,  that,  hav- 


EL  FUREIDIS.  137 

ing  towards  midday  gained  a  summit  which  commanded  a 
wide  prospect,  he  beheld  bursting  upon  his  view  a  stately 
palace  of  Moorish  architecture,  with  slender  pillars  extend 
ing  from  roof  to  ceiling,  and  surrounded  by  numerous  flat- 
roofed  buildings,  and  long  lines  of  light  arcades. 

The  gigantic  structure,  with  its  attendant  courts,  complete 
ly  covered  an  elevated  platform,  beyond  which  stretched  a 
fertile  valley,  lying  between  mountains  whose  sides  were 
festooned  with  the  olive,  the  mulberry,  and  the  vine,  and 
whose  distant  opening  disclosed  the  blue  sea-line  of  the 
Mediterranean.  Checking  his  horse,  Meredith  turned  in 
amazement  towards  Abdoul,  seeking  enlightenment  concern 
ing  this  fantastic  castle,  which  had  burst  upon  them  as  the 
palace  of  the  Genii  dawns  upon  the  traveller  of  the  fairy 
tale. 

"  It  is  Eptedeen,"  responded  Abdoul,  his  dark  face  lit  up 
with  a  glow  of  pride,  as  he  thus  introduced  to  Meredith  the 
residence  of  the  chief  Emir  of  Lebanon,*  and  the  beautiful 
and  picturesque  country  beyond.  "  The  wide  portal  stands 
open  night  and  day,"  continued  the  youth ;  "  the  Frank  and 
the  Arab  are  both  sure  of  a  welcome.  Shall  we  go  thither 
to  rest  our  horses,  and  smoke  a  pipe  beside  the  fountain  of 
the  inner  court,  beneath  the  pomegranate  shade  ?  " 

Meredith  hesitated ;  the  distance  was  considerable,  but  the 
Emir's  palace  was  well  worth  visiting,  and  he  had,  moreover, 
an  urgent  motive  for  prolonging  his  excursion  until  night 
fall.  He  therefore  answered  by  an  affirmative  nod,  and, 

*  The  author  has  here  taken  a  slight  liberty  with  facts,  the  court  resi 
dence  of  the  Druse  Emir  of  the  Lebanon  being  now  held  at  the  Muktarah, 
two  hours  distant  from  Eptedeen.  The  latter  palace,  which  was  the  favor 
ite  residence  of  the  famous  Sheik  Beshir  Shehaab,  has  suffered  from  the 
effects  of  time  and  abuse,  and  serves  at  present  as  a  barrack  for  Turkish 
soldiery. 


J38  EL  FUREIDIS. 

setting  spurs  to  their  horses,  they  both  plunged  down  the 
steep  path,  leading  into  one  of  those  ravines  which  here,  as 
everywhere  among  the  mountains,  intercepted  the  approach 
to  a  spot  apparently  near  at  hand. 

As  the  sure-footed  steeds  strained  up  the  opposite  side  of 
the  abyss,  affording  their  riders  a  glimpse  of  the  outer  courts 
of  the  palace,  it  became  evident  that  their  arrival  was  well 
timed,  as  the  occasion  chanced  to  be  a  holiday,  or  court  re 
ception  of  the  Emir,  and  could  not  fail  to  furnish  a  fund  of 
interest  and  novelty  to  the  Englishman. 

Congregated  in  the  court-yard  were  representatives  of  all 
the  mountain  tribes,  Druses,  Maronites,  Greeks,  Armenians, 
and  Metuales,  whose  variegated  costumes  and  characteristic 
attributes  imparted  a  picturesque  animation  to  the  scene. 
Most  of  them  had  come  thither  on  horseback,  and  long  lines 
of  Arabian  horses,  decked  with  gay  and  costly  trappings, 
were  secured  to  cords  which  were  stretched  for  the  purpose 
across  opposite  sides  of  the  enclosure.  Camels,  lying  down 
beside  the  fountain,  or  standing  grouped  together  in  corners, 
skilful  youths  exercising  with  the  lance,  servants  and  officials 
hastening  hither  and  thither,  all  combined  to  give  effect 
to  the  strange  and  exciting  scene. 

The  massive  entrance  gate  was  guarded  by  Arabs,  armed 
with  muskets  and  spears  ;  they  saluted  the  new-comers,  and 
gave  the  password  to  Abdoul,  who,  as  the  frequent  emissary 
of  his  tribe,  was  no  stranger  at  the  palace.  Meredith,  follow 
ing  his  guide's  example,  now  alighted  from  his  horse,  which 
was  immediately  taken  in  charge  by  an  Abyssinian  slave,  and 
accompanied  the  Arab  boy  within  an  outer  suite  of  apart 
ments,  where  he  was  left  waiting  until  the  arrival  of  so  dis 
tinguished  a  guest  had  been  suitably  announced.  Whatever 
might  be  Abdoul's  private  sentiments,  it  was  none  the  less 
pleasure  and  policy  on  his  part  to  exalt  the  character  and 


EL  FUREIDIS.  139 

office  of  the  man  whom  he  served,  and  that  this  duty  was 
fulfilled  in  no  stinted  degree  was  made  evident  by  the  state 
ly  dignity  of  the  embassy  which  soon  appeared  to  conduct 
the  Englishman  to  the  presence  of  the  Emir. 

After  traversing  a  succession  of  marble-paved  apartments, 
surrounded  by  richly-carpeted  divans,  Meredith  gained  a 
second  court  decorated  with  fountains,  shrubs,  and  flowers, 
passed  through  a  light  open  arcade,  and  entered  a  saloon 
crowded  with  officers  in  waiting,  and  separated  only  by  a 
heavy  damask  curtain  from  the  elevated  platform  whereon 
the  Emir  gave  audience.  As  Meredith  passed  through  this 
throng  of  richly  clad  courtiers,  he  gave  a  deprecating  glance 
at  his  own  faded  hunting-suit ;  but  no  one  present  seemed 
conscious  of  the  rudeness  of  his  toilette,  and  all  saluted  him 
with  graceful  deference  as  he  preceded  them  into  the  great 
man's  presence. 

The  Sheik,  Said  Jimblat,  was  a  handsome  Druse  Arab, 
somewhat  advanced  in  years,  with  a  light  gray  beard,  a  clear 
eye,  and  a  fresh  complexion.  He  was  clad  in  a  long  white 
robe,  with  a  girdle  of  cashmere,  and,  seated  at  an  angle  of 
his  crimson  divan,  presented  a  mild  and  dignified  appearance. 
His  reception  of  Meredith  was  cordial  in  the  extreme  :  his 
return  of  the  Englishman's  polite  obeisance  was  condescend 
ing,  and,  immediately  beckoning  the  unexpected  guest  to  a 
seat  by  his  side,  he,  by  means  of  his  interpreter,  welcomed 
him  to  Eptedeen,  inquired  after  his  health,  and  proceeded  to 
question  him  with  eagerness  concerning  his  country,  his 
queen,  and  the  politics  of  Europe. 

There  can  scarcely  be  a  nobler  tribute  to  Great  Britain 
than  is  contained  in  the  fact,  that,  even  in  remote  and  but 
partially  civilized  lands,  her  representatives,  whether  in  a 
public  or  a  private  capacity,  almost  invariably  receive  that 
respect  which  is  due  to  the  sons  of  a  nation  renowned  for 


140  EL  FUKEIDIS. 

its  wealth,  its  moderation,  and  the  protection  which  it  affords 
to  human  rights  and  freedom.  Thus  Meredith  forgot  him 
self,  for  a  while,  in  the  patriotic  glow  with  which  he  listened 
to  the  eulogy  pronounced  by  the  Lebanon  chief  upon  his 
mother  country.  He  responded  to  it  by  equally  sincere 
compliments  upon  the  good  order,  peace,  and  tranquillity 
which  prevailed  under  the  Emir's  government,  and  the 
conversation,  which  was  prolonged  for  nearly  an  hour, 
was  mutually  satisfactory.  The  Sheik  urged  upon  his  guest 
every  species  of  hospitality;  but,  pleading  the  necessary 
briefness  of  his  visit,  Meredith  declined  all  save  a  cup  of 
coffee  and  a  pipe  served  in  the  presence  of  the  Emir,  and 
a  hasty  banquet  which  awaited  the  stranger  in  one  of  the 
lower  courts,  after  a  final  salutation  and  blessing  on  the  part 
of  his  host. 

A  visit  to  the  baths  and  stables,  however,  performed  un 
der  the  guidance  of  one  of  the  officers  of  the  household, 
consumed  a  considerable  space  of  time,  and  it  wanted  but 
a  few  hours  of  sunset  when  Abdoul,  who  had  meanwhile 
been  entertained  in  another  part  of  the  castle,  was  once 
more  summoned  to  his  master's  presence,  and  with  little 
further  delay  they  set  out  on  their  return. 

The  road  which  they  now  pursued  was  more  direct  than 
that  by  which  they  had  come  thither,  but  seemed  to  Mere 
dith  more  hopelessly  impassable  than  any  he  had  yet  expe 
rienced.  As  the  travellers  were,  even  by  the  shortest  route, 
several  hours'  distance  from  El  Fureidis,  and  midday  was 
long  since  past,  there  was  no  time  to  be  lost  in  council  or 
dialogue ;  and  with  silent,  patient  caution  the  two  horsemen 
guided  and  encouraged  their  steeds,  which,  refreshed  like 
their  masters  by  the  hospitalities  of  Eptedeen,  surmounted 
with  admirable  sure-footedness  and  skill  the  manifold  diffi 
culties  of  the  way.  Here  the  dry  bed  of  a  mountain  stream 


EL  FUREIDIS.  141 

afforded  the  only  pass  between  perpendicular  cliffs,  and, 
strewn  as  it  was  with  shapeless  masses  of  rock,  it  presented 
rather  the  appearance  of  a  rampart  than  a  road ;  —  there 
the  steep  ascent  became  so  smooth  and  slippery,  that  it  was 
a  marvel  where  the  horses  contrived  to  wedge  their  iron- 
pointed  hoofs ;  —  and  more  than  once  the  narrow  defiles 
seemed  eternally  barred  up  by  heavy  boulders,  which  had 
fallen  directly  across  the  bridle-path,  and  must  be  sur 
mounted  at  imminent  peril  of  life  and  limb. 

But  habit  makes  light  of  danger.  Abdoul's  white  mare 
was  a  very  mountain  chamois,  and  Meredith  was  in  a  mood 
to  encounter  risk  and  hardship  with  stoical  fortitude  and 
indifference.  Thus  the  journey  was  pursued  for  hours  with 
an  uncomplaining  perseverance,  which  was  at  length  re 
warded  by  an  abrupt  exit  from  the  highland  gorges  into  an 
open  basin  or  valley  lying  between  two  spurs  of  the  Leba 
non,  an  oasis  of  verdure,  beyond  which  El  Fureidis  might  be 
dimly  discerned,  suspended  from  an  opposite  acclivity,  and 
now  accessible  by  a  comparatively  easy  and  rapid  approach. 
The  setting  sun  was  casting  long  rays  of  purple  light  across 
the  landscape,  as  Meredith  and  his  guide,  suddenly  freed 
from  the  intricacies  of  mountain  travel,  by  a  simultaneous 
movement  gave  rein  to  their  horses  and  commenced  gallop 
ing  across  the  little  plain,  preceded  by  the  panting  dogs 
which  had  been  the  unflagging  companions  of  their  excur 
sion. 

One  more  incident  completed  the  adventures  of  the  day. 
Not  far  from  the  entrance  to  the  valley,  where  a  light 
silvery  cascade  leaped  from  a  projecting  rock  and  filled  to 
overflowing  a  natural  basin  below,  a  little  group  of  gazelles 
were  quenching  their  thirst  before  seeking  their  nightly 
refuge  in  the  mountains.  Half  hid  as  the  shy  creatures 
were  by  the  glossy-leaved  oleanders  that  grew  around  the 


142 


EL  FUREIDIS. 


fountain,  Meredith  and  Abdoul  might  have  failed  to  espy 
them ;  but  the  keen-scented  dogs,  having  been  kept  in  check 
during  the  morning  lest  they  should  interfere  with  the  sport 
of  the  falcon,  were  now  on  the  alert,  and  quickly  started 
their  game. 

But  the  fairy-footed  herd  were  not  to  be  easily  cap 
tured.  With  one  bound  they  cleared  the  vicinity  of  their 
enemy ;  before  Meredith  or  Abdoul  had  observed  them, 
they  were  half-way  across  the  plain,  and  out  of  gun-shot ; 
a  moment  more,  and  they  would  have  gained  a  safe  retreat 
among  the  rocks  and  clefts  at  the  opposite  extremity  of 
the  valley.  Pursuit  seemed  fruitless,  for  what  foot  can 
rival  that  of  the  gazelle?  But  one  more  triumph  was 
yet  reserved  for  Abdoul's  winged  hunter.  Quick  as  the 
lightning-flash  the  boy  had  unloosed  the  hawk  and  flung  it 
aloft ;  with  a  wild,  fierce  scream  it  had  shot  obliquely  up 
ward  like  an  arrow,  and  now,  at  the  critical  moment  when 
the  frightened  gazelles  had  almost  gained  their  place  of 
shelter,  it  pounced  upon  its  prey,  threw  it  to  the  ground, 
and  flapped  its  heavy  wings  in  the  face  of  the  struggling, 
panting  creature,  at  the  same  time  whirling  it  round  and 
round  with  savage  velocity. 

Meanwhile  the  bewildered  herd,  thus  assailed  from  an  un 
expected  quarter,  dispersed  in  frantic  uncertainty  and  fear, 
flying  madly  into  the  pathway  of  the  dogs,  and  heedlessly 
bringing  themselves  within  the  range  of  the  huntsmen's  guns. 
A  shot  from  Meredith  carried  instant  death  to  one  ;  another, 
wounded  by  Abdoul's  bullet,  bounded  high  into  the  air,  then 
fell  upon  its  knees,  a  helpless  victim.  The  Arab  youth  lin 
gered  to  complete  the  work  of  destruction  ;  but  the  English 
man,  after  taking  aim  and  pulling  the  trigger  of  his  musket, 
scarcely  waited  to  observe  the  effect  of  his  shot,  but  hurried 
to  the  spot  where  the  struggle  was  still  continued  between 
the  falcon  and  the  prostrate  gazelle. 


EL  FUREIDIS.  143 

For  a  moment  he  watched  the  conflict  with  the  air  of  a 
connoisseur ;  then,  his  compassion  aroused  by  the  helpless 
ness  of  the  gentler  animal  and  the  inequality  of  the  contest, 
he  enlisted  himself  on  the  side  of  the  feebler  party,  and 
strove  to  rescue  it  from  the  talons  of  the  excited  bird.  His 
efforts  were  in  vain,  however ;  the  hawk  glanced  at  him 
with  threatening  eyes,  and  refused  to  relax  its  hold.  Ab- 
doul  was  by  this  time  within  hail,  and,  obedient  to  a  loud 
call  from  his  master,  hastened  to  the  spot.  Deaf  and  obsti 
nate  as  the  falcon  had  proved  towards  a  stranger,  at  a  sim 
ple  signal  from  the  Arab  it  promptly  relinquished  its  prey, 
suffered  itself  once  more  to  be  hoodwinked,  and  meekly  sub 
mitted  to  the  treatment  due  rather  to  a  captive  than  a  con 
queror. 

At  the  same  moment  that  Abdoul  grasped  the  talons  of 
the  bird  with  his  left  hand,  with  his  right  he  drew  from  his 
belt  a  sharp  khangar,  and  prepared  to  strike  the  gazelle,  but 
was  checked  by  Meredith,  who  hastily  threw  back  the 
youth's  arm  and  arrested  the  blow.  Meredith's  sympathies 
were  now  fully  awakened  in  favor  of  the  animal,  which, 
released  from  the  claws  of  its  persecutor,  lay  stunned  and 
apparently  lifeless  before  him.  Perhaps  its  likeness  to 
Havilah's  little  attendant,  which  it  closely  resembled,  had 
enlisted  his  interest ;  for  after  placing  his  hand  on  its  heart, 
and  discovering  that  it  yet  beat,  he  was  caressingly  stroking 
its  head,  when  it  slowly  opened  its  eyes  and  fixed  them  upon 
him  in  tender,  pathetic  appeal.  There  was  no  resisting 
those  melting  orbs,  so  like  Havilah's  own,  so  perfect  a  coun 
terpart  of  those  which  always  maintained  with  her  a  com 
plete  though  mute  understanding. 

"  Stay,  boy ! "  was  Meredith's  exclamation,  as,  intercepting 
Abdoul's  dagger,  he  lifted  the  unresisting  gazelle  from  the 
ground.  "  Put  up  your  knife,  —  we  will  take  the  creature 


144  EL  FUREIDIS. 

home  and  tame  it,"  —  he  added,  at  the  same  time  mentally 
resolving  to  present  it  to  Havilah  as  a  mate  and  companion 
for  her  favorite. 

With  dogged  and  unwilling  obedience  Abdoul  replaced 
his  poniard  in  its  sheath,  and  looked  on  with  secret  anger 
and  disdain,  while  Meredith  proceeded  to  dress  the  wounds 
of  the  animal,  and,  the  better  to  secure  and  protect  it,  tied 
around  its  limbs  the  long  scarf  wlu'ch  he  wore  in  Oriental 
fashion  outside  his  hat.  These  operations  completed,  he 
handed  his  protege  over  to  Abdoul,  with  an  imperative 
charge  to  carry  it  carefully  in  his  arms  to  the  villa.  The 
boy  received  his  burden  with  a  malignant  scowl,  which  was 
quite  unobserved  by  Meredith,  who  remounted  the  horse 
that  had  meanwhile  been  grazing  beside  him,  and,  whistling 
to  his  dogs,  rode  rapidly  off  in  advance  of  his  attendant, 
who  with  clenched  fist  and  menacing  gesture  looked  after 
his  master,  and  seemed  to  hesitate  whether  or  not  to  follow 
him. 

With  that  patient  allegiance,  however,  which  is  with  his 
race  a  habit  superior  to  almost  every  impulse,  he  paused 
but  a  moment,  then  followed  closely  on  Meredith's  track. 
That  the  burden  he  carried  awakened  in  him  emotions 
directly  the  reverse  of  those  which  actuated  Meredith 
might  be  gathered  from  the  fact  that  he  bestowed  on  it 
scarcely  more  care  than  on  the  slain  of  its  species  which 
hung  from  his  horse's  neck.  It  may  even  be  doubted 
whether  he  did  not  meditate  a  sly  piece  of  treachery,  for 
so  loose  and  indifferent  was  his  hold  upon  the  animal,  so 
heedlessly  did  he  suffer  its  legs  to  slip  from  their  bands, 
that,  had  not  Meredith  turned  at  the  right  moment  to  .make 
sure  of  the  little  creature's  safety,  it  would  inevitably  have 
made  its  escape  to  its  native  mountains,  or  have  perished  of 
its  wounds  by  the  wayside. 


EL  FUREIDIS.  145 

Without  a  word  of  reproof,  but  with  a  glance  so  severe 
as  to  be  an  unmistakable  reprimand,  Meredith  leaned  from 
his  horse  and  relieved  the  boy  of  his  unwelcome  charge, 
which  the  Englishman  once  more  wrapped  in  the  mantle, 
folded  to  his  bosom,  and  soothed,  during  the  remainder  of 
the  ride,  with  tender  and  fostering  care. 

"  Here,  Bachmet,"  he  shouted  to  M.  Trefoil's  Syrian  ser 
vant,  whom  he  met  near  the  gate-way  of  the  villa,  "you 
are  a  trustworthy  lad ;  take  care  of  this  little  creature. 
Here  is  something  to  pay  you  for  your  trouble ;  it  shall  be 
doubled,  if  your  good  nursing  heal  the  poor  thing's  wound;" 
—  and  as  he  spoke,  he  placed  a  piece  of  money  in  the  hand 
of  the  youth.  The  latter  joyfully  accepted  the  commission, 
and  followed  Meredith  up  the  stone  steps  of  the  terrace  with 
exultant  face  and  reiterated  and  eager  thanks. 

As  Abdoul  watched  these  proceedings,  and  the  covetous 
eye  of  his  race  caught  the  gleam  of  the  silver  coin,  his  coun 
tenance  for  a  moment  betrayed  signs  of  savage  eagerness 
and  disappointment ;  but  a  passion  stronger  than  avarice 
immediately  succeeded,  if  one  might  judge  from  the  malig 
nant  scowl  which,  as  he  turned  away,  distorted  his  hand 
some  face,  and  the  muttered  imprecations  with  which,  as 
he  led  the  horses  to  their  stable,  he  invoked  the  curse  of 
Allah  on  the  hated  Frank. 


146  EL  FUREIDIS. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 


THE  dwelling  of  M.  Trefoil  at  all  times  wore  an  air  of 
quiet  and  repose ;  but  there  was  this  evening  something 
painful,  almost  ominous  to  Meredith,  in  the  perfect  stillness 
and  seclusion  which  pervaded  the  house  and  grounds,  and 
which  formed  a  striking  contrast  with  the  scenes  and  excite 
ments  of  his  day  among  the  mountains  The  fatigue  of 
travel  and  the  rapid  succession  of  incident  had  somewhat 
subdued  his  mental  restlessness  ;  but  as  he  passed  through 
the  little  garden,  whose  silence  was  only  broken  by  the  rip 
pling  fountain,  and  entered  the  saloon  allotted  to  his  use, 
where  only  Bachmet  attended  to  bid  him  welcome,  he  be 
came  the  victim  of  a  tumult  of  emotions  quite  at  variance 
with  the  peacefulness  of  the  place  Thus  his  manner  was 
marked  by  a  degree  of  haste,  uncertainty,  and  indecision 
wholly  foreign  to  his  usual  habits.  He  entered  upon  the 
duties  of  his  toilette  with  as  much  nervous  rapidity  as  if 
hurrying  to  fulfil  an  appointment ;  but,  before  they  were 
completed,  seemed  to  forget  or  abandon  his  intentions,  and, 
assuming  a  Persian  dressing-gown,  threw  himself  into  an 
arm-chair,  a  complete  representative  of  gentlemanly  leisure. 
He  declined  Bachmet's  offer  of  refreshments,  and  expressed 
a  preference  for  sitting  in  a  room  darkened  by  the  shadows 
of  nightfall ;  but  the  boy  had  scarcely  left  the  apartment 
before  the  capricious  Englishman  sounded  the  silver  whistle 
with  which  he  was  wont  to  summon  a  servant,  called,  a  little 


EL  FUREIDIS.  147 

impatiently,  it  must  be  confessed,  for  coffee  and  lights, 
and,  as  soon  as  the  latter  were  brought,  applied  himself  to 
overlooking  a  heap  of  English  letters  and  papers  which 
lay  upon  his  table.  He  had  scarcely  time  to  master  any 
of  their  contents,  when  Geita's  voice  was  heard  on  a  bal 
cony  outside  the  saloon,  in  familiar  gossip  with  Bachmet. 
As  if  it  had  for  the  first  time  occurred  to  Meredith  that  his 
return  might  be  reported  to  the  household,  and  his  non- 
appearance  wondered  at,  he  hastily  huddled  his  papers  to 
gether,  readjusted  his  dress,  and  with  an  air  of  settled 
determination  proceeded  courageously  to  the  house-top, 
where  the  family,  however  scattered  during  the  day,  were 
almost  sure  to  assemble  at  nightfall. 

He  found  only  M.  Trefoil  and  M.  Lapierre,  who,  seated 
upon  the  terraced  roof,  seemed  to  be  engaged  in  desultory 
conversation.  They  greeted  him  as  usual,  or,  if  the  man 
ner  of  M.  Trefoil  was  slightly  embarrassed,  it  was  covered 
by  the  refined  and  benignant  grace  of  the  missionary,  the 
sweet  serenity  of  whose  deportment  nothing  could  ruffle  or 
disturb.  The  latter  immediately  instituted  inquiries  con 
cerning  Meredith's  mountain  exploits,  the  absence  of  Abdoul 
and  the  horses  and  dogs  having  sufficiently  indicated  that 
their  master  was  on  a  hunting-excursion.  Meredith  gave 
a  brief  outline  of  his  adventures,  the  prominent  feature  of 
which  —  his  visit  to  Eptedeen  —  at  once  afforded  unlimited 
scope  for  conversation. 

M.  Trefoil  interrogated  his  guest  with  many  eager  and 
flurried  inquiries  regarding  the  assemblage  at  the  palace ; 
and  M.  Lapierre,  instigated  by  the  manufacturer,  furnished 
for  Meredith's  benefit  a  graphic  sketch  of  the  private  life 
and  political  career  of  the  Emir  Beshir  Shehaab,  that  pow 
erful  Druse  prince,  who  ruled  the  Lebanon  for  many  years 
with  impartial  rigor,  and  whose  memory  will  ever  be  asso- 


148  EL  FUKEIDIS. 

ciated  with  the  beautiful  palace  of  Eptedeen,  which  is  a 
monument  of  his  architectural  taste. 

It  was  half  ludicrous,  half  painful  to  see  with  what  ner 
vous  and  awkward  effort  M.  Trefoil  labored  to  maintain  and 
foster  an  unbroken  stream  of  talk,  with  what  embarrassment 
he  strove  to  fill  up  the  pauses,  with  what  visible  trepidation 
he  foresaw  the  probability  of  the  old  pastor's  leaving  him 
alone  with  his  guest.  Twice,  M.  Lapierre,  whose  simple 
habits  sent  him  early  to  rest,  rose  to  depart,  but  was  de 
tained  by  some  earnest  solicitation  on  the  part  of  the  host ; 
and  when  the  missionary  had  finally  taken  leave,  the  agita 
tion  of  poor  M.  Trefoil  became  such  as  to  rob  him  of  all 
self-control.  He  launched  abruptly  upon  a  variety  of  topics, 
but  suddenly  foundered  in  all ;  for  no  avenue  of  thought 
seemed  open  to  him  which  did  not  lead  him  face  to  face 
with  the  truth  he  dreaded  to  tell,  or  bring  him  stumbling 
upon  the  verge  of  that  disclosure  which  he  weakly  sought 
to  postpone. 

After  several  blundering  attempts,  therefore,  during  which 
Meredith  maintained  an  obstinate  silence,  the  manufacturer 
relaxed  his  efforts  at  conversation,  nervously  removed  his 
Turkish  fez,  wiped  his  heated  forehead  with  his  handker 
chief,  peered  into  the  crown  of  the  red  tarboosh,  as  if  hoping 
it  might  reveal  some  clew  to  him  in  his  perplexity,  and,  this 
last  resort  having  failed,  clapped  the  cap  upon  his  head  again, 
and  looked  the  very  picture  of  despair. 

Vexed  and  chagrined  at  his  host's  behavior,  but  com 
pletely  calmed  in  view  of  his  overwhelming  embarrassment, 
Meredith  for  a  while  maintained  a  proud  composure,  scorn 
ing  to  seek  the  communication  which  he  felt  ought  to  be 
volunteered,  yet  willing  to  afford  M.  Trefoil  an  opportunity 
for  a  candid  explanation. 

As  the  latter  took  no  advantage  of  the  pause,  however, 


EL  FUEEIDIS.  149 

Meredith  at  length  rose,  and  briefly  wished  his  friend  good 
night. 

"  Going !  so  soon  J "  exclaimed  M.  Trefoil,  speaking  in 
a  deprecating  tone,  but  nevertheless  starting  to  his  feet 
with  an  alacrity  which  seemed  to  welcome  the  motion. 
"  It  is  not  late,"  he  added,  with  a  second  protest ;  followed 
immediately  by  the  counter-phrase,  "But  I  dare  say  you 
are  fatigued." 

Smiling  a  half-bitter,  half-ironical  smile,  Meredith  an 
swered  merely  by  a  nod,  and  commenced  descending  the 
staircase,  pursued  closely  by  M.  Trefoil,  who,  his  tongue 
once  more  loosed,  was  profuse  in  hospitable  entreaties  and 
attentions. 

"  Nothing  at  all,  my  dear  sir,  —  nothing  at  all,  I  thank 
you," — was  Meredith's  reply  to  the  various  offers  of  refresh 
ment  and  service  with  which  M.  Trefoil  followed  him  to 
the  edge  of  the  balcony.  "  My  wants  are  most  bountifully 
supplied." 

"  But  stay ! "  continued  the  manufacturer,  catching  his 
guest  by  the  sleeve,  as  he  was  about  to  descend  the  steps 
that  led  to  the  garden,  and  thence  to  his  own  apartments, 
in  the  opposite  wing.  "  I  forgot  —  how  —  what  —  eh  —  " 
The  kind-hearted  man,  who  had  begun  with  brave  energy, 
here  evidently  abandoned  his  first  intention,  and  faltered 
forth  the  commonplace,  "  What  do  you  mean  to  do  to-mor 
row?" 

"  I  ?  do  ?  O,  nothing  that  I  know  of,"  responded  Mere 
dith,  breaking  away  with  petulant  haste. 

"  O,  indeed !  nothing  ?  Good-night,  then,"  said  M.  Tre 
foil,  with  an  awkward,  unsatisfied  air,  and  turning  to  re-enter 
the  house. 

The  young  man  ran  down  the  steps,  but  was  once  more 
arrested  by  the  same  voice,  speaking  in  a  tone  half  resolute, 


150  EL  FUREIDIS. 

half  tremulous,  —  "Meredith!   my   dear   fellow,   one   mo 
ment  ! " 

Meredith  turned,  and,  seeing  that  M.  Trefoil  awaited 
him,  slowly  mounted  the  steps  again. 

There  was  a  world  of  meaning  in  the  tender,  emphatic 
manner  with  which  the  elder  man  laid  his  hand  on  the 
shoulder  of  the  younger.  The  Avords  that  followed  were 
scarcely  more  expressive,  though  coming  as  they  did  in 
the  rapid,  vehement  utterance  with  which  one  speaks 
who  has  braced  himself  for  the  occasion.  "About  that 
matter  we  were  talking  of  yesterday !  I  had  it  almost  as 
much  at  heart  as  you  did,  —  you  know  that,  —  but  it  won't 
do ;  we  must  say  no  more  about  it,  —  so  there 's  an  end  of 
the  whole  thing.  It  is  a  hard  case,  but  we  must  bear  it  the 
best  way  we  can. " 

There  was  no  affectation  in  M.  Trefoil's  thus  assuming 
that  the  disappointment  was  mutual  and  equal.  He  felt  it 
to  be  so ;  the  heaving  of  his  broad  chest  proved  that  he 
did,  —  the  choking  of  his  voice,  the  tears  that  filled  his 
eyes,  proclaimed  how  deeply  the  whole  man  was  moved. 
He  evidently  looked  to  Meredith  for  a  response,  almost  for 
sympathy ;  but  there  was  no  sound  or  movement  to  in 
dicate  that  he  whom  he  addressed  had  even  heard  him. 
The  simple-hearted  M.  Trefoil  was  awed  and  grieved  by 
this  monumental  silence,  more  than  he  would  have  been  by 
a  sarcasm  or  a  torrent  of  bitter  words.  He  even  went  so 
far,  in  the  earnest  affectionateness  of  his  nature,  as  to  pass 
his  stout  arm  half  around  the  neck  of  the  immovable 
young  man,  at  the  same  time  clasping  in  his  one  of  the 
hands  which  hung  listlessly  down,  and  offered  no  returning 
pressure.  "  Don't  distress  yourself,  my  dear  fellow,  now 
don't ! "  he  continued,  in  a  consolatory  tone.  "  We  were  mis 
taken,  we  men  are  so  ignorant,  I  thought  her  little  heart 


EL  FUKEIDIS.  151 

was  wax,  and  I  find  it  is  a  rock,  —  that  is  all.     I  would 
have  plead  your  cause  myself,  my  friend,  —  upon  my  word 
I  would,  but  it  would  have  been  of  no  use,  —  the  child  has  * 
made  her  own  decision,  and  it  seems  there  is  no  appeal 
from  that,  for  the  mother  says  so,  —  and  the  mother  knows." 

These  interjectional  phrases,  honestly  intended  to  soothe 
their  object,  but  each  in  reality  carrying  with  it  the  sting 
of  a  barbed  arrow,  were  uttered  with  spasmodic  efforts, 
and  with  a  sufficient  interval  between  them  to  admit  of 
some  reply.  But  they  called  forth  none.  "With  fixed 
attitude,  and  eyes  fastened  rigidly  on  the  face  of  M.  Tre 
foil,  Meredith's  countenance  and  figure  expressed  merely 
the  simple  query,  "  Is  this  all  ?  Have  I  heard  the 
whole  ?  " 

Either  the  unsophisticated  manufacturer  so  interpreted 
this  air  of  dumb  and  stoical  patience,  or  the  agitation  of  his 
own  feelings  forbade  further  words ;  for  he  withdrew  a  step 
in  the  direction  of  the  house,  made  an  attempt  to  utter  some 
thing  more,  but  failed,  and  darted  within  the  door-way,  half 
convulsed  by  the  vain  attempt  to  repress  a  sob. 

"  What  will  the  Englishman  do  ?  Has  he  turned  to  stone  ? 
Will  he  stand  there  all  night  ?  "  So  M.  Trefoil  inwardly 
questioned  himself,  as,  having  climbed  an  upper  balcony,  he 
leaned  cautiously  over  and  played  the  spy  upon  a  grief 
which  he  dared  not  otherwise  face.  "  Poor  lad ! "  he  ex 
claimed,  as  he  drew  in  his  head,  after  making  a  cautious 
observation.  "  Poor  lad ! "  he  again  ejaculated,  as  a  second 
survey  revealed  Meredith  still  standing  in  the  same  spot. 
Here  the  clumsy  man,  while  zealously  striving  to  be  unheard, 
stumbled  over  his  own  shadow,  grasped  at  the  trellis-work 
of  the  balcony  in  order  to  save  himself  from  falling,  and, 
startled  at  the  noise  which  he  thus  made,  retreated  precipi 
tately,  saying  to  himself,  "  He's  got  a  stroke,  a  heart-stroke. 


152  EL  FUREIDIS. 

God  help  him !     They  say  there 's  no  cross  like  a  love  cross, 
and  I  believe  it." 

*  And  the  man  who,  crossed  in  almost  everything  else,  had 
never  been  crossed  in  love,  hurried  away  to  seek  the  cus 
tomary  relief  to  his  anxieties  in  lanthe's  sympathy. 

Meredith  was  not  conscious  of  hearing  any  noise  ;  he  did 
not  even  ask  himself  the  cause  of  the  rustling  of  the  vine- 
branches  just  above  his  head ;  he  was  not  aware  that  he 
listened  to  M.  Trefoil's  retreating  footsteps.  These  slight 
sounds  must,  however,  have  played  upon  his  senses,  for  it 
could  have  been  nothing  short  of  volition  on  his  part  which 
caused  him  to  stand  motionless  as  a  statue  until  the  last 
footfall  had  ceased  to  echo  in  the  night  stillness,  and  then  to 
turn  and  depart  like  a  sentinel  dismissed  from  his  post.  It 
must  have  been  his  own  act,  though  it  seemed  the  effect  of 
mechanism,  as  his  tall  figure  swayed  slowly  round,  like 
a  heavy  Eastern  door  turning  on  its  sunken  pivot ;  it  must 
have  been  obedience  to  an  impulse,  though  it  looked  rather 
like  resistance,  as  he  dragged  his  limbs  heavily  down  the 
stone  steps,  and  crossed  the  garden  with  the  weary  air  of 
one  oppressed  by  a  heavy  weight.  So,  with  the  step  of  a 
paralytic  and  the  bent  form  of  an  old  man,  he  descended  one 
terrace  after  another,  crossed  the  mulberry-orchard,  and 
gained  the  little  foot-bridge. 

And  now  the  powers  that  had  been  benumbed  began  to 
force  themselves  into  play.  The  whole  man  had  encoun 
tered  the  shock ;  but  pride,  the  outer  bulwark  of  the  man, 
was  the  first  to  feel  the  sting.  His  veins  throbbed,  the 
blood  mounted  to  his  temples  and  tingled  to  his  finger-ends. 
Despised !  rejected  !  dismissed !  The  thought  was  intolera 
ble.  He  must  escape  from  the  thought,  and  he  quickened 
his  pace.  Thus  he  crossed  the  bridge  with  nervous  haste, 
and  struck  into  the  steep  path  which  led  upward  to  Ayn  el 


EL  FUREIDIS.  153 

Bered.  Rapidity  of  motion  promised  relief;  but  the  thought 
pursued  him,  and  he  fled  from  the  thought.  With  deter 
mined  strides  he  began  scaling  the  mountain-side  ;  but 
the  thought  gained  upon  him,  and  he  commenced  running. 
"With  a  now  vehement  energy  he  sprung  from  rock  to  rock, 
defying  obstacles.  The  moon  had  not  yet  risen,  and  the 
night  was  dark ;  loose  stones  rattled  beneath  his  feet,  and 
came  tumbling  down  the  slopes  and  crags.  Sly  jackals,  that 
were  nearing  the  village  under  cover  of  the  darkness,  fled 
at  his  approach ;  rushing  water-courses  strove  to  oppose  his 
passage ;  —  but  he  hurried  on.  He  paused  a  moment  at 
Ayn  el  Bered ;  he  stood  on  the  very  spot  where  Havilah 
had  first  burst  upon  him  from  the  thicket.  He  heard  again 
the  merry  laugh  with  which  she  had  greeted  his  surprise. 
How  sweetly  it  had  rung  in  his  ears  ever  since  that  day ! 
but  now  it  seemed  to  mock,  to  taunt  him. 

The  mocking  laugh,  the  maddening  thought,  —  how  they 
chased  and  spurred  him  !  how  they  fired  his  blood,  and  lent 
wings  to  his  flight,  as,  leaving  Ayn  el  Bered  far  behind  him, 
he  labored  up  the  dreary  waste  of  pasture-ground  and  peak 
beyond  ! 

What  cold  horror  would  have  crept  over  him  at  some 
soberer  moment,  could  he  have  known  how,  more  than  once, 
his  foot  had  slipped  at  a  point  where  a  measureless  ravine 
gaped  beneath,  and  destruction  was  the  price  of  a  false 
or  careless  step  !  What  a  sense  of  miraculous  deliverance 
would  have  seized  him,  had  daylight  revealed  the  rock- 
strewn  or  watery  abyss  across  which  he  had  leaped  with  an 
accuracy  wholly  accidental !  But  passion  is  self-engrossed ; 
danger  has  no  existence  to  a  madman,  and  secret  darkness 
never  betrayed  how  death  lay  in  wait  for  life  that  night. 

Morning  was  dawning  on  the  mountains,  —  cold,  early 
morning.  The  sun  was  yet  far  below  the  horizon,  and  only 
7* 


154  EL  FUREIDIS. 

a  gray  watery  moon  shed  light  on  the  landscape.  A  chill 
mist  crept  up  from  the  valleys,  —  a  chill  mist  dissolved 
from  the  clouds.  The  stunted  herbage  was  saturated 
with  moisture,  the  rocks  were  black  and  dripping.  But 
colder  was  the  chill  at  the  heart,  heavier  the  dew  on  the 
forehead  of  the  man,  who,  stretched  on  the  mountain-top, 
lay  with  his  face  upturned  to  the  sky.  He  had  thrown 
himself  down,  hot,  feverish,  exhausted ;  but  hours  had 
passed  since  then  ;  the  searching  night-wind  and  cold  rain 
had  penetrated  every  pore,  and  an  icy  hand  seemed  to  have 
been  laid  upon  him.  Passion  and  pride  had  spent  them 
selves,  the  bolt  had  pierced  beneath  the  surface,  and  the 
manly  heart  of  Meredith  had  taken  home  the  wound.  The 
past  was  past,  the  future  a  blank,  the  present  only  a  dull, 
cold  sense  of  pain.  Hopeless !  desolate !  bereaved !  was 
the  cry  of  the  grieved  spirit.  It  was  no  taunting  word,  no 
stinging  sarcasm ;  it  was  not  a  thing  to  flee  from,  to  strug 
gle  with,  or  to  silence  ;  it  was  the  heart's  own  cry. 

He  had  outrun  his  pride  ;  solitude,  cold,  and  darkness 
had  dispelled  his  fever  of  mortification  and  surprise ;  but 
there  was  nothing  in  the  leaden  sky  above  or  the  hard 
earth  beneath  him  to  minister  to  his  despair. 

Now  for  the  first  time  he  understood  himself;  now  he 
felt  the  strength  of  the  chain  which  had  bound  him  so  long 
to  El  Fureidis ;  now  in  his  bitter  wretchedness  and  humil 
iation  he  could  rightly  measure  the  love  he  cherished  for 
Havilah. 

Simple  M.  Trefoil  had  labored  to  soften  the  blow;  he  flat 
tered  himself,  kind  soul !  that  he  had  lessened  its  severity ; 
but  had  he  sought  through  his  whole  vocabulary  of  words 
he  could  not  have  found  any  so  effectual  and  so  stunning  to 
a  lover  as  those  he  had  innocently  ejaculated,  —  "  Her  heart 
is  like  a  rock ! "  How  the  words  rung  through  the  young 


EL  FUEEIDIS.  155 

man's  soul !  How  they  seemed  to  reverberate  through  all 
nature  !  The  hooting  of  the  night-owl  gave  them  harsh 
utterance;  the  winds  whistling  round  the  mountain-top 
caught  them  up ;  the  huge  cliffs  re-echoed  them.  The  soft 
pattering  rain-drops,  the  cold,  gray  moon,  both  whispered  in 
his  ear,  "  Her  heart  is  like  a  rock  !  "  and  the  young  man, 
wrapped  in  an  apathy  of  despair,  felt  that  on  this  rock  the 
freight  of  all  his  rich  hopes  had  foundered. 

Despair  has  no  rebellious  workings.  It  is  the  cessation 
of  struggle.  So  he  lay  stiff  and  motionless,  with  his  hands 
clutching  the  thin  rank  grass  and  his  face  upturned  to  the 
pitiless  sky,  unconscious  of  the  fog  which  shrouded  him,  for 
getful  that  he  could  not  lie  there  forever. 

"Was  it  strange  that  this  man's  pride,  the  first  thing  to  feel 
the  blow,  was  the  first  to  rally  ?  Was  it  strange  that  he 
who  alone  with  his  grief  had  been  insensible  to  the  elements, 
shrunk  from  the  eye  of  a  clown  ?  Yet  so  it  was.  The  first 
faint  streaks  of  dawn  had  scarcely  crept  up  the  eastern  sky, 
when  a  Kurdish  shepherd  came  climbing  up  the  mountain 
side  in  search  of  his  scattered  flock.  Wrapped  in  his  soiled 
sheep-skin  capote,  roughest  specimen  of  the  roughest  race, 
this  rude  goatherd  might  almost  have  been  mistaken  for 
some  wild  beast  of  the  mountain ;  and  it  was  with  shy,  brutish 
curiosity  that,  as  he  passed  the  spot  where  Meredith  lay,  he 
surveyed  the  figure  of  the  prostrate  stranger.  His  idiotic 
stare,  however,  had  power  to  excite  the  Englishman's  ire, 
restore  his  self-control,  and  awaken  that  stern  British  pride 
which,  rent  as  it  had  been,  was  still  his  best  armor  and  de 
fence.  The  inner  citadel,  it  is  true,  was  undermined,  but  he 
could  yet  patch  up  the  outer  defences,  and  present  a  fair 
front  to  the  enemy. 

With  resentful  impetuosity  he  raised  himself  on  one 
elbow,  and  fixed  on  the  goatherd  an  eye  so  full  of  sternness 


156  EL  FUREIDIS. 

and  of  wrath,  that  the  timid  hind  slunk  away  overawed,  not 
even  venturing  to  look  back.  Meredith  watched  him  with 
an  angry  frown  until  he  had  turned  an  angle  in  the  pathway. 
As  he  disappeared  from  sight  the  young  man  rose,  looked 
round  for  his  hat,  became  conscious  that  he  had  left  the 
villa  cloakless  and  bareheaded,  glanced  at  his  wet  gar 
ments,  ran  his  fingers  through  his  damp  hair,  and  walked 
deliberately  back  to  the  village. 


EL  FUBEIDIS.  157 


CHAPTEE    XV. 

HAD  the  Kurdish  shepherd  been  called  upon  to  identify 
the  stranger  whose  desperate  attitude  and  fierce  demeanor 
had  overawed  him  on  the  mountain-fop,  he  would  scarcely 
have  recognized  his  man  in  the  erect,  self-possessed,  well- 
dressed  individual  who  presented  himself  that  morning  at 
lanthe's  breakfast-table.  The  boy  Bachmet,  on  the  other 
hand,  as  he  stood  behind  his  master's  chair,  would  unhesi 
tatingly  have  taken  his  oath  that  the  party  assembled  round 
the  board  was  in  all  respects  the  same  that  he  had  served  for 
a  month  past ;  and  even  a  more  discriminating  observer  than 
Bachmet  might  have  been  blind  to  any  change  that  had 
passed  upon  the  household.  But  the  simoom  of  the  desert 
is  not  more  effectual  in  withering  up  the  face  of  nature,  than 
the  events  of  the  last  few  days  had  been  in  blasting  the 
happy  relations  that  had  hitherto  subsisted  in  this  domestic 
circle. 

The  frank,  easy  hospitality  of  M.  Trefoil  -had  given  place 
to  fitful  loquacity  and  fidgety  effort ;  the  tender  solicitude  of 
lanthe's  manner,  the  liquid  softness  of  her  eye,  as  it  turned 
on  her  guest,  were  silent  indications  of  a  sympathy  which 
had  far  more  power  to  mortify  than  to  soothe.  Meredith 
was  rigidly  calm.  None  could  detect  the  reflection  of  out 
ward  circumstances  or  inward  wrestlings  on  his  face.  Held 
firm  by  the  anchor  of  a  determined  will,  he  had  put  on  his 


158  EL  FUREIDIS. 

old  mask  of  gentlemanly  reserve,  and  sat  like  a  knight  with 
visor  down,  steeled  against  every  thrust. 

Neither,  perhaps,  among  the  four,  felt  the  embarrassment 
and  the  pain  of  the  occasion  so  keenly  as  Havilah.  She 
spoke  not  a  word.  It  was  all  she  could  do  to  repress  the 
tears  which  threatened  to  flow.  She  kept  her  eyes  cast 
down,  or,  if  she  raised  them  for  an  instant,  it  was  to  look 
about  her  with  the  timorous,  half-guilty  glance  of  one  who, 
conscious  of  innocence,  still  feels  herself  the  cause  of  all 
the  mischief. 

Once  only  during  the  meal  did  she  encounter  the  eye  of 
Meredith,  who  sat  opposite  to  her  at  the  table.  She  had 
made  sufficient  pretence  of  eating,  and  had  found  occupation 
for  some  minutes  past  in  breaking  bits  of  bread  into  the 
leben,  or  curdled  milk,  intended  for  Ayib's  breakfast.  This 
task  completed,  she  gave  a  low,  quick  summons  to  her  favor 
ite,  unobservant  of  the  fact  that  the  little  animal  had  that 
instant  laid  its  head  on  Meredith's  outstretched  hand,  and 
was  receiving  his  unconscious  caress.  The  young  man 
looked  up,  saw  her  purpose,  withdrew  his  hand  as  suddenly 
as  if  it  had  been  bitten,  and  motioned  Ayib  away.  With  a 
bound,  the  household  pet  gained  his  mistress's  side.  But  he 
was  too  late.  Havilah  thought  she  saw  reproach  in  Mere 
dith's  quick  glance,  and,  abashed  at  the  mere  suspicion  of  a 
heartlessness  which  sought  to  rob  him  of  the  animal's  affec 
tion,  she  had  thrown  her  napkin  hastily  over  the  saucer  of 
bread  and  milk,  and  now  feigned  abstraction. 

Ayib  hastened  back  to  his  former  post,  but  Meredith  was 
equally  neglectful  of  him,  and  the  affectionate  creature,  re 
pulsed  on  both  sides,  and  disappointed  of  his  breakfast,  was 
fain  to  Avander  underneath  the  table  in  search  of  crumbs. 

It  was  a  trifle,  but  it  was  a  premonition  of  what  might  be 
anticipated  in  Havilah's  future  intercourse  with  the  Eng- 


EL  FUREIDIS.  159 

lishman,  —  blushing  timidity  and  dread  on  the  one  side, 
close  scrutiny  and  sensitive  reserve  on  the  other. 

Henceforward  absence  alone  could  lessen  that  barrier  of 
mutual  constraint  which  fate  had  placed  between  them,  and 
on  this  first  trying  occasion  it  was  a  relief  to  all  parties 
when  Bachmet,  returning  from  an  excursion  to  the  kitchen, 
whispered  in  Havilah's  ear  a  courtly  message,  inviting  her 
to  an  interview  with  a  friend  who  awaited  her  in  the  garden. 

That  friend  was  Abdoul.  Havilah  had  not  met  the  boy 
since  his  return  from  the  desert.  He  might  have  shared  the 
privilege  of  the  meanest  villager,  and  waited  on  her  steps  at 
any  hour  of  her  going  abroad ;  but  such  a  proceeding  would 
have  been  inconsistent  with  the  dignity  of  which  the  youth 
was  so  jealous.  The  formality  of  his  visits  was,  moreover, 
but  one  expression  of  the  young  Oriental's  reverence  for  his 
early  playmate,  whose  presence  he  seldom  sought  unan 
nounced. 

It  might  be  that  escape  from  a  painful  restraint  excited 
in  Havilah  an  almost  childish  sense  of  freedom ;  it  might  be 
that  Abdoul's  wonted  shyness  was  dispelled  by  the  more 
than  common  cordiality  of  her  welcome.  Or  perhaps  the 
familiar  atmosphere  of  the  garden,  the  scene  of  their  early 
sports,  had  power  to  revive  in  all  its  simplicity  the  sponta 
neous  friendship  of  childhood.  Certain  it  is  that  the  desert 
boy  and  the  mountain  girl  had  not  met  for  many  months 
with  such  reciprocal  ease  and  pleasure  as  on  the  present 
occasion.  It  is  true  the  young  chieftain's  sense  of  decorum 
demanded  the  customary  salutations  ;  the  Salaam  aleikum 
(Peace  be  unto  you)  was  gravely  uttered,  and  was  met  by 
the  Scriptural  response  from  Havilah,  Allah  mukum  (The 
Lord  be  with  you).  But  when,  seating  herself  beside  the 
fountain,  she  questioned  him  with  sisterly  interest  concern 
ing  his  family  and  his  travels,  and  he,  stretched  gracefully 


160  EL  FUEEIDIS. 

on  the  ground  at  her  feet,  gazed  up  at  her  with  dove-like 
mildness,  it  would  have  been  difficult  for  either  to  realize 
that  six  seasons  had  passed  over  their  heads  since  the 
bronzed  boy  lay  on  that  same  spot  with  his  wounded  arm 
extended  on  the  marble  pavement,  and  Havilah  bent  over 
hun  with  pitying  eye,  and  soothed  his  hours  of  pain. 

The  hard  and  strongly  aspirated  language  of  the  Bedouin 
is  ill-fitted  for  the  expression  of  gentle  thoughts,  and  the 
face  of  even  a  beautiful  Arab  is  most  beautiful  when  in 
repose.  Abdoul,  however,  was  a  poet  by  nature,  and  his 
versatile  features  were  framed  to  express  the  extremes  of 
fierceness  and  of  pathos.  Thus  his  words  seemed  to  drop 
from  honeyed  lips,  and  his  countenance  wore  an  almost 
feminine  expression,  as,  drinking  inspiration  from  Havilah's 
presence,  he  discoursed  on  the  themes  most  congenial  to  the 
imaginative  mind  of  the  Oriental. 

"  See,  Havilah ! "  he  exclaimed,  as,  holding  a  richly-tinted 
geranium  in  a  cup  formed  by  one  small  hand,  he  gently 
stroked  the  velvet  leaves  with  a  thin  taper  finger  of  the 
other,  — "  see  how  the  sunshine  and  dew  of  Lebanon  have 
painted  themselves  on  the  flower !  Allah  is  great  in  the 
desert,  but  he  is  beautiful  on  the  mountains.  Truly,  as  Fa 
ther  Lapierre  says,  El  Fureidis  is  the  earth's  oasis,  and," 
he  added,  as  he  raised  the  blossom  to  his  nostrils,  "  there  is 
no  smell  like  the  smell  of  Lebanon." 

"But  the  desert  has  its  flowers,"  said  Havilah,  "and 
when  Sheik  Zanadeen  encamps  by  the  fountains  of  El  Ba- 
rada,  the  mignonette  and  lupin  creep  to  the  very  door  of 
his  tent." 

"  Thou  speakest  truth,  Havilah.  They  creep  and  wither 
and  die.  The  sirocco  blasts  them,  —  the  scorching  sun  dries 
up  their  fragrance.  Only  in  the  shelter  of  the  mulberry- 
groves  beside  the  living  streams  of  the  rock  do  the  flowers 


EL  FUREIDIS.  161 

bloom  erect  and  fair,  and  the  smiles  of  woman  make  glad 
the  heart  of  man." 

"  So  faithless  to  thy  race,  Abdoul  ?  "  exclaimed  Havilah, 
reproachfully.  "  Dost  thou  forget  Zaaferan,  the  tall  Palmy- 
rene,  daughter  of  thine  uncle,  Sheik  Abou-Malek  ?  Dost 
thou  forget  that  she  waits  in  her  father's  harem  until  her 
cousin  Abdoul  shall  bring  the  bridal  ransom  ? " 

"  Inshallah  !  then  let  her  wait ! "  responded  Abdoul,  in  a 
contemptuous  tone,  and  with  a  wild  gesture  of  impatience. 
"  '  Waste  not  your  jasmine-oil  on  a  rat's  head '  is  a  part  of 
the  wisdom  of  an  Arab.  Zaaferan  is  tall  like  the  palm,  and 
slender  as  the  thin  reed ;  but  can  a  shadow  woo  a  lover  ? 
Can  pale  lips  and  tawny  cheeks  gladden  the  eyes  which 
have  gazed  on  one  whose  mouth  is  a  branch  of  coral,  and 
whose  skin  is  a  vessel  of  milk  ?  The  desert  maid  is  the 
one-stringed  Rubabah  which  wearies  the  ear  with  its  monot 
onous  note ;  the  Mountain  Rose  is  a  many-toned  lute,  and 
all  the  airs  of  heaven  play  on  it" 

Half  shocked,  half  amused  at  the  young  chief's  want  of 
gallantry  towards  the  Arab  maid,  and  carelessly  indifferent 
to  the  implied  compliments  to  herself,  which  were  so  fre 
quent  on  Oriental  lips  as  to  be  well-nigh  meaningless,  Havi 
lah  replied  with  conscious  irony :  "  Abdoul  is  eloquent  in 
praise  of  the  mountains ;  he  will  return  no  more  to  his  fa 
ther's  tent ;  he  will  till  a  vineyard  on  the  slopes  of  Baruk ; 
he  will  yoke  the  oxen  to  the  plough,  and  be  a  faithful  sub 
ject  of  the  Emir  Said  Jimblat." 

"Allah  forbid!"  exclaimed  the  young  Bedouin,  his  eye 
kindling  with  proud  disdain.  "  Beauty  may  flourish  in  the 
mountains  and  sweetness  lurk  in  the  valleys,  but  glory, 
freedom,  and  power  are  abroad  on  the  plains.  Shall  he  who 
has  subdued  the  wild  mare  of  El  Hejaz,  and  whose  swift 
dromedary  outruns  the  wind,  handle  the  mean  tools  of  a  fel- 

K 


162  EL   FUREIDIS. 

lah,  or  tread  in  the  footprints  of  a  yoked  steer  ?  Shall  the 
Arab  el  Araba  of  the  kingdom  of  Yemen,  of  the  pure  race 
of  the  Kahtanide,  consent  to  become  a  slave  ?  " 

"  Is  not  he  a  slave,"  questioned  Havilah,  "  who  day  after 
day  follows  the  toilsome  caravan  ?  "Would  not  his  straining 
eye  and  throbbing  brow  find  relief  in  the  green  shade  of  the 
sycamore  ?  Would  not  his  thirsty  lips  be  refreshed  by  such 
fruits  as  these  ?  "  —  and  as  she  finished  speaking  she  held 
above  the  boy's  head  a  rich  cluster  of  grapes  and  a  handful 
of  golden  apricots,  which  she  had  selected  from  the  basket 
of  Bachmet,  who  was  now  busily  engaged  in  stripping  the 
young  trees  and  vines  that  grew  beside  the  fountain. 

There  was  neither  admiration  nor  wistfulness  in  the  face 
of  Abdoul  as  he  gazed  on  the  fruit,  and  it  was  with  the 
proud  air  of  one  superior  to  every  temptation  of  the  appetite 
and  the  senses  that  he  replied :  "  The  traveller  on  the  desert, 
Havilah,  cares  little  for  luxury  and  repose ;  to  him  hardship 
is  enjoyment,  and  action  rest.  Mohammed,  best  beloved  of 
Allah,  has  promised  Paradise  at  last  to  him  who  is  victo 
rious  over  pain,  but  the  faithful  followers  of  the  Prophet 
look  not  for  a  heaven  below." 

Despite  the  inconsistencies  of  Abdoul's  religious  zeal, 
Havilah  well  knew  his  capacity  of  patient  endurance  and 
self-sacrifice.  She  was  touched  by  that  profession  of  heroic 
submission  which  might  well  have  become  a  Christian,  and 
with  a  shade  of  gentle  pity  on  her  face  continued  silent. 

But  pity  was  not  the  sentiment  which  Abdoul  desired  to 
inspire,  and,  the  expression  of  his  face  changing  from  resig 
nation  to  enthusiasm,  he  resumed :  "  But  think  not  that  the 
desert  is  dreary,  Havilah.  To  inhale  its  breezes  is  a  joy, 
to  bound  over  its  sands  is  freedom,  to  hail  the  distant  watch- 
fire  is  to  feel  the  kindling  hope.  Zanadeen,  prince  of  his 
tribe,  rides  at  the  head  of  five  hundred  spears;  as  many 


EL  FUREIDIS.  163 

thousand  do  his  bidding.  To  the  friends  of  Zanadeen  the 
wilderness  is  a  safe  highway,  and  under  the  shadow  of  his 
tent  they  need  fear  neither  Turk  nor  robber.  Would 
Havilah  but  journey  thither,  would  she  trust  the  hospi 
tality  of  the  white-bearded  Emir,  the  young  men  would  vie 
with  each  other  to  do  her  honor,  the  maidens  would  sit  at 
her  feet,  the  desert  would  salute  its  queen." 

Havilah  smiled  as  the  boy  indulged  these  fanciful  chime 
ras.  It  would  seem  that  he  drew  encouragement  from  the 
smile,  for,  his  imaginative  ardor  fully  roused,  he  eagerly  pur 
sued  the  theme ;  his  eye  dilated  and  his  small  hand  waved 
emphatic  gestures,  as,  with  the  boastfulness  peculiar  to  his 
race,  he  declaimed  on  the  greatness  and  valor  of  his  tribe, 
and  the  honors  they  had  it  in  their  power  to  bestow ;  not  omit 
ting  to  intersperse  among  his  narratives  a  few  vain  allusions 
to  his  own  feats  of  horsemanship  and  prowess,  and  the  influ 
ence  they  had  gained  for  him  over  the  Bedouin  hordes. 

It  was  a  picturesque  scene  which  the  centre  terrace  of  the 
garden  afforded  at  this  crisis,  so  romantic  indeed  in  its 
grouping  and  effect  as  to  rivet  the  momentary  gaze  of 
Meredith,  who,  descending  the  upper  flight  of  steps,  was 
compelled  to  pass  within  a  few  feet  of  the  fountain  on  his 
way  from  the  breakfast-saloon  to  his  own  apartment  Havi 
lah,  while  lending  an  attentive  ear  to  her  companion's  eager 
recital,  was  bending  over  a  huge  tray  of  fruit  which  Bach- 
m'et  had  deposited  on  the  stone  coping  of  the  fountain,  and 
her  diligent  fingers  were  sorting  and  arranging  the  heavy 
clusters  of  purple  and  gold.  The  hood  of  her  burnous  had 
half  fallen  from  her  head,  suffering  the  sunlight  to  play  on 
her  hair,  and  the  snowy  lamb's-wool  garment,  of  a  breadth 
sufficient  to  envelope  her  whole  person,  was  thrown  in  heavy 
folds  over  one  shoulder,  revealing  the  tight-fitting  sleeve  of 
her  crimson  jacket,  and  contrasting  with  her  full  skirt  of 


164  EL  FUREIDIS. 

gayly-striped  Persian  silk.  She  had  placed  herself  just  on 
the  verge  of  the  shade  afforded  by  a  little  thicket  of  shrub 
bery,  and  her  figure,  defined  in  the  intense  morning  light, 
and  relieved  by  a  background  of  clear  blue  sky,  formed  the 
prominent  object  in  the  picture.  The  form  of  Abdoul  was 
partially  concealed  by  his  lowly  posture,  and  by  the  branches 
of  the  oleander  and  orange  trees  which  arched  above  the 
spot  where  he  lay.  One  slender  limb  was  extended  to  its 
full  length  on  the  grass,  the  other  bent  beneath  his  body, 
in  an  attitude  possible  only  to  the  supple-jointed  Arab  ;  the 
fragment  of  an  ancient  stone  entablature,  which  sometimes 
filled  the  office  of  a  rustic  seat,  afforded  support  to  the 
youth's  left  arm,  and  his  chin  rested  on  his  hand  as  he 
gazed  upward  at  Havilah.  His  face  only  was  lit  by  the 
sunbeams  that  were  now  and  then  sifted  through  the  foli 
age,  and  as  his  impulsive  nature  warmed  and  called  his 
features  into  play,  the  glow  that  overspread  them  seemed 
the  more  intense  from  the  obscurity  in  which  he  otherwise 
lay  hid.  A  minor  figure  in  the  party  assembled  around  the 
fountain  might  be  seen  in  the  form  of  Geita,  who  as  usual 
was  busy  in  the  garden  at  this  hour,  and  who,  as  she 
stooped  to  fill  her  watering-pot  at  the  dripping  basin,  or 
passed  from  one  to  another  of  lanthe's  flowers,  added  not  a 
little  to  the  picturesque  character  of  the  scene.  Nor  was 
Bachmet  a  wholly  insignificant  object ;  for  every  now  and 
then  his  gay  red  turban  gleamed  from  the  fruit-trees  and 
trellises,  looking  like  some  mammoth  poppy  which  had 
attained  a  gigantic  height. 

The  Englishman  neither  started  nor  changed  color,  but  a 
twinge,  as  if  the  effect  of  sudden  pain,  shot  across  his  coun 
tenance  as  he  passed  between  this  picture  and  the  sunlight. 
Nor  was  his  presence  without  its  effect  on  the  group.  His 
passage  had  left  a  shadow  deeper  than  the  shadow  of  the 
sunshine. 


EL  FUREIDIS.  165 

There  was  something  in  his  slow  step  and  dejected  air, 
before  he  became  conscious  that  he  was  perceived,  there  was 
something  afterwards  in  his  silence  and  his  passing  on,  which 
caused  Havilah  to  shrink  with  nervous  dread,  and  cast  down 
her  eyes  like  one  rebuked.  Geita  dropped  her  watering- 
pot,  sighed,  and  looked  inquiringly  at  her  mistress.  Even 
Bachmet  drew  his  head  within  the  shelter  of  a  tree,  and 
from  his  secret  post  of  observation  watched  his  master's 
guest,  until  he  had  entered  his  own  apartment  and  closed 
the  door.  Nor  was  Abdoul  exempt  from  the  shadow.  It  is 
true  that,  as  without  turning  his  head  he  scanned  the  Eng 
lishman  from  a  corner  of  his  eye,  and,  with  the  quick  inter 
pretation  of  a  savage,  read  Meredith's  face  as  if  it  had  been 
an  open  book,  the  young  Bedouin's  countenance  glowed  with 
sudden  triumph, — but  it  was  a  fearful,  a  startling,  a  malig 
nant  triumph,  —  it  was  the  lightning  that  cometh  out  of  the 
cloud. 

His  whole  nature  seemed  illuminated.  His  eyes  flashed 
vividly ;  his  voice  took  an  exultant  tone.  Nor  was  the  effect 
merely  outward  and  momentary.  His  excitable  mind  was 
fixed,  and  the  new  turn  given  to  his  thoughts  immediately 
betrayed  itself  in  his  conversation  and  gestures.  Flattering 
reminiscences  of  his  own  prowess  and  power  were  super 
seded  by  the  stronger  passions  of  his  race,  and,  either  for 
getful  or  unappreciative  of  the  character  of  his  listener,  he 
now  launched  upon  tales  of  war  and  blood,  the  provocation 
of  the  enemy,  the  pursuit,  the  combat,  the  revenge. 

His  accent  became  deep,  guttural,  and  harsh,  as,  with  rapid 
words  and  highly-wrought  figures  of  speech,  he  dwelt  on 
these  fierce  topics  ;  his  brow  was  darkened  by  a  heavy  scowl, 
as  he  showered  imprecations  on  the  foes  of  his  race ;  his  head 
was  bent  eagerly  forward,  and  his  eyes  glowed  with  a  lurid 
light,  as  he  seemed  to  strain  his  vision  for  the  detection  of 


166  EL  FUREIDIS. 

the  distant  camp-fires ;  and  when  his  wild  tale  reached  its 
climax,  his  long  white  teeth  were  firmly  set,  and  his  right 
hand  clutched  the  hilt  of  his  dagger,  while  he  affirmed  that 
sooner  or  later,  in  spite  of  obstacles,  the  steel  of  the  aven 
ging  Arab  was  sure  to  reach  the  victim's  heart. 

"  Hush !  Abdoul,  hush ! "  cried  Havilah,  in  a  commanding 
tone,  and  starting  up  from  her  seat.  "  Cease  from  such 
wicked  words,"  she  added,  with  a  shudder.  "  Hast  thou  for 
gotten  that  thou  speakest  to  one  whose  religion  is  a  religion 
of  forgiveness  and  peace  ?  " 

The  scowl  melted  from  the  forehead  of  the  boy,  his  hand 
was  slowly  withdrawn  from  his  weapon,  and  his  eyes  shone 
with  a  milder  light  as  he  meekly  bowed  himself  before  the 
rebuke  expressed  in  Havilah's  countenance  and  manner  no 
less  than  her  sudden  words. 

There  was  contrition  even  in  his  expression,  and  some 
thing  of  the  mute  pathos  of  rebuked  ignorance.  Havilah 
saw  and  comprehended  it,  for  she  resumed  promptly,  in  a 
gentle,  persuasive  tone :  "  Leave  such  stories,  Abdoul,  for 
the  cowardly  and  the  mean.  They  do  not  belong  to  princes 
or  to  heroes.  The  noblest  victor  is  he  who  can  master  him 
self.  Such  tales  of  revenge  and  blood  cannot  be  real  and 
true.  They  are  the  legends  of  the  old  Arab  poets,  —  the 
fictions  of  the  brain.  They  are  not  fit  for  Abdoul's  lips  or 
Havilah's  ears." 

With  meek  patience  Abdoul  listened,  his  eyes  fastened 
upon  her  face  like  one  under  the  influence  of  a  spell.  Loath 
to  suffer  in  her  good  opinion,  he  was  glad  to  escape  her  dis 
pleasure  under  any  pretence,  and  the  pensive  smile  which 
had  now  superseded  his  fierce  frown  seemed  to  imply  that 
his  recent  tempest  of  passion  had  been  only  feigned. 

Havilah  was  but  half  deceived.  His  invectives  and  threats 
had  been  too  unmistakably  real.  It  was  with  a  sad,  there- 


EL   FUEEIDIS.  167 

fore,  rather  than  a  satisfied  tone,  that  she  continued :  "  Ab- 
doul  wields  his  tongue  after  the  same  fashion  as  his  spear 
and  dagger.  He  runs  a  wild  tilt  and  makes  savage  thrusts, 
but  it  is  only  to  show  his  skill  at  the  game ;  he  only  seeks 
to  try  the  courage  and  to  test  the  nerves.  I  thought  he 
could  not  be  in  earnest.  I  would  not  believe  he  could  so 
soon  have  forgotten  all  the  gentle  teachings  of  the  Mother 
lanthe." 

As  Havilah  finished  speaking,  she  turned  to  leave  the 
garden,  the  grave,  unconscious  dignity  of  her  manner  im 
parting  to  her  something  of  the  air  of  a  youthful  princess. 

Abdoul,  perceiving  her  intention,  rose  from  the  ground, 
and,  wearing  the  respectful  air  of  a  subject  whose  interview 
with  royalty  is  ended,  he  saluted  her  with  more  than  custom 
ary  formality,  and  stood  with  his  eyes  cast  down,  and  his 
hand  upon  his  heart,  until  she  had  passed  up  the  steps  and 
re-entered  the  villa. 


168  EL  FUBEIDIS. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

IT  was  now  Meredith's  first  wish  to  leave  El  Fureidls. 
He  had  seized  the  moment  when  Havilah  rose  from  the 
breakfast-table  to  broach  the  matter  to  M.  Trefoil,  and  the 
preparations  for  departure  were  already  going  forward. 
Despite  his  genuine  hospitality,  the  transparent  face  of  the 
manufacturer  gave  unmistakable  evidence  of  the  relief  this 
decision  afforded  to  his  embarrassment,  and  it  was  with  a 
ludicrous  mixture  of  sadness  and  alacrity  that  he  took 
upon  himself  the  final  offices  of  a  host,  and  devoted  all 
his  bustling  energies  to  the  requisite  arrangements  for  his 
guest's  approaching  journey. 

With  his  usual  impetuosity  and  contempt  of  obstacles, 
Meredith  had  resolved  to  set  out  that  very  day.  But  when 
he  named  his  intention,  M.  Trefoil  lifted  his  eyebrows,  and 
fixed  his  round,  honest  eyes  on  the  young  man,  as  if  doubt 
ing  his  sanity ;  and  Abdoul,  upon  being  consulted,  gravely 
pronounced  the  thing  impossible.  M.  Trefoil  knew  the 
necessities  of  an  Eastern  traveller,  bound,  as  Meredith  pro 
fessed  to  be,  on  a  distant  pilgrimage,  and  the  young  Arab, 
despite  the  sly  satisfaction  which  he  felt  at  the  prospect  of 
the  Englishman's  bidding  farewell  to  El  Fureidis,  would 
not  abate  one  iota  of  his  preconceived  notions  in  regard  to 
a  due  equipment  for  the  journey. 

Twenty-four  hours  was  pronounced  the  least  possible  time 
in  which  the  necessary  preparations  could  be  completed,  and, 


EL  FUREIDIS.  169 

with  true  Oriental  want  of  punctuality,  and  some  inevitable 
causes  of  delay,  this  period  was  finally  lengthened  to  several 
days. 

During  this  interval  Abdoul  made  himself  busy  in  his 
own  department,  affecting  all  the  airs  of  a  finished  drago 
man,  and  issuing  lordly  directions  in  reference  to  the  shoeing 
of  horses,  the  repairing  of  saddles,  and  the  burnishing  and 
replenishing  of  his  own  and  his  master's  stock  of  fire-arms. 

M.  Trefoil,  meanwhile,  deaf  to  all  other  claims,  whether  of 
business  or  of  pleasure,  might  be  seen,  at  almost  any  hour 
of  the  day,  perambulating  the  village,  pausing  at  almost 
every  cottage,  and  making  drafts  upon  every  quarter  which 
could  be  rendered  available  for  contributing  to  his  friend's 
personal  outfit,  tent  furniture,  or  travelling  canteen. 

The  management  of  his  affairs  being  thus  assumed  by  a 
despotic  servant  and  an  indefatigable  commissariat,  Mere 
dith  would  have  found  himself  destitute  of  both  employment 
and  society  but  for  M.  Lapierre,  who,  as  he  had  been  the 
first  to  welcome  the  stranger  to  El  Fureidis,  and  had  played 
towards  him  a  paternal  part,  now  seemed  called  to  exercise 
a  new  ministry  in  his  behalf.  No  amount  of  worldly  tact  or 
selfish  policy,  nothing  but  the  truest  Christian  courtesy,  could 
have  inspired  the  benevolent  and  successful  zeal  with  which 
this  village  pastor,  placing  himself  in  the  vacant  social  niche, 
contrived  to  furnish  occupation  for  Meredith's  idle  hours,  and 
soothe  the  mind  which  was  visibly  preying  on  itself. 

The  very  fact  that  the  traveller's  time  was  limited  af 
forded  a  pretext  for  urging  him  to  those  scientific  and  anti 
quarian  researches  which  were  yet  incomplete,  and  each  day 
saw  the  young  man  and  the  patriarch  sallying  forth  from  the 
village  on  excursions  which  each  felt  to  be  on  his  own  part 
merely  nominal.  Father  Lapierre,  however,  was  far  too 
wise  and  cautious  to  betray  any  suspicion  of  the  English- 
8 


170  EL  FUREIDIS. 

man's  present  relations  with  the  family  at  the  villa ;  the 
lofty  train  of  thought,  the  well-poised  intellect,  of  one  who 
had  overcome  passion  and  the  world,  acted  as  a  lever  upon 
Meredith's  mental  powers ;  and  the  tender  pity  which  had 
prompted  the  effort  for  his  sake  was  exalted  into  admiring 
sympathy,  as  the  veteran  warrior  of  the  cross,  who  loved  a 
strong  and  invincible  nature,  saw  with  what  equanimity  of 
force  the  freshly  stricken  sufferer  sustained  his  burden. 

For  although  stoical  and  pitiably  sad,  there  was  something 
heroic  and  grand  in  the  calmness  and  dignity  with  which, 
after  the  first  shock,  this  disappointed  lover  took  his  mis 
fortune  to  heart,  hugged  it  there  unresistingly,  and  without 
wincing  suffered  it  to  swallow  up  and  absorb  all  those  secret 
springs  of  joy  which  latterly  had  been  to  him  a  fountain  of 
fresh  life. 

A  practised  courtier,  a  professed  connoisseur  in  the  ways 
of  the  human  heart,  would  perhaps  have  moved  an  appeal 
from  M.  Trefoil's  abrupt  verdict,  would  have  meditated  new 
modes  of  approach,  and  still  courted  success.  But  Meredith 
was  a  stranger  to  coquetry  in  all  its  forms.  He  was  ear 
nest,  simple,  and  true.  To  him  a  repulse  was  a  defeat ;  the 
tilt  with  fortune  was  ended,  and  the  discarded  lover  was  a 
perpetual  exile  from  his  mistress's  smiles. 

Still  less  did  it  occur  to  him  to  question  the  manner  in 
which  his  courtship  had  been  conducted.  The  very  terms 
in  which  his  rejection  had  been  couched  forbade  this.  The 
decision  had  rested  solely  with  Havilah.  She  was  in 
different  to  him.  It  was  enough.  He  asked  no  further 
explanation.  He  could  even  find  it  in  his  heart  to  be 
grateful  to  M.  Trefoil,  who  had  by  his  friendly  intervention 
saved  him  from  a  more  direct  repulse. 

Some  men's  vanity  festers,  becomes  inflated  and  more 
offensive  than  ever,  when  it  has  chanced  to  receive  a  sting. 


EL  FUREIDIS.  171 

But  it  was  not  so  with  Meredith.  So  far  as  Havilah  was 
concerned,  the  blow  to  the  young  man's  self-esteem  was 
fatal.  He  sought  not  to  undervalue  the  prize  which  he  had 
failed  to  win ;  but  was  content  to  believe  that  the  unwor- 
thiness  was  all  his  own.  He  ceased  to  dwell  on  those  be 
witching  graces  which  had  hitherto  captivated  him  ;  and 
beholding  her  rather  in  that  character  of  lofty  and  myste 
rious  beauty  which  had  sometimes  placed  her  above  his 
comprehension,  he  wonderingly  asked  himself  how  he  had 
ever  dared  aspire  so  high.  So  keenly  conscious  was  he, 
indeed,  of  his  own  inferiority,  that,  if  possible,  he  rev 
erenced  her  the  more  for  having  been  conscious  of  it  too. 

There  was  nothing  mean  or  degrading  in  this  self-abase 
ment  ;  it  sprung  from  the  noblest  generosity,  —  a  generos 
ity  which  had  lavished  a  wealth  of  love  where  it  met  no 
return,  but  which  would  not  recall  the  gift ;  was  ready  to 
sacrifice  its  best  affections,  to  let  them  flow  out  like  water, 
but  scorned  to  believe  that  they  had  been  misplaced. 

It  is  rare  to  find  a  man  just  towards  those  whose  friend 
ship  has  cost  him  dear.  Meredith  was  more  than  just ;  he 
was  magnanimous.  The  child-like  confidence  of  Havilah's 
manner  towards  him  could  not  be  restored  ;  but  she  ceased 
to  shrink  and  drop  her  eyelids  in  his  presence  when  a  single 
day's  experience  had  proved  that,  though  pricked  to  the 
heart  by  her  avoidance,  Meredith  forbore  to  importune  her 
with  his  presence,  addressed  to  her  only  words  of  courtesy, 
and  denied  himself  even  a  stolen  glance  at  her  face,  from 
the  dread  of  disconcerting  or  giving  her  pain. 

Nothing  could  be  more  distasteful  to  the  self-love  of  the 
Englishman  than  the  unsought  and  unwelcome  pity  con 
stantly  evinced  in  lanthe's  demeanor  towards  him  ;  but 
his  better  feelings  gained  the  mastery,  gratitude  triumphed 
over  pride,  and  her  touching  solicitude  was  responded  to  by 


172  EL  FUREIDIS. 

such  filial  tenderness  of  word  and  act  as  satisfied  the  sensi 
tive  invalid  that  not  a  particle  of  resentment  rankled  in  his 
breast. 

But  to  no  one  was  Meredith's  generosity  so  great  a  cause 
of  satisfaction  as  to  M.  Trefoil.  It  never  occurred  to  either, 
to  their  credit  be  it  said,  that  their  pecuniary  relations  would 
be  in  the  slightest  degree  affected  by  the  present  embarrass 
ment.  The  forgiving  temper  of  the  manufacturer  also  for 
bade  him  to  doubt  that  a  good  understanding  would  finally 
be  established  between  himself  and  his  friend.  But  the 
clumsy  tactician  was  conscious  of  the  awkward  part  he  had 
played,  in  first  blindly  encouraging,  then  totally  blasting, 
the  hopes  of  a  lover ;  he  had  been  shocked  at  the  palsied 
stupor  with  which  Meredith  had  learned  his  fate,  and  was 
fully  prepared  either  to  behold  the  young  man  the  victim  of 
despair,  or  to  find  himself  the  subject  of  bitter  and  deserved 
reproach. 

Relieved  from  both  these  apprehensions  by  Meredith's 
friendly  and  self-possessed  demeanor,  the  elastic  spirits  of 
M.  Trefoil  at  once  recovered  their  tone  ;  his  penetration, 
which  seldom  probed  beneath  the  surface,  took  no  note  of 
any  effort  on  Meredith's  part ;  he  saw  him  calm,  believed 
him  cheerful,  and,  deceived  by  his  apparent  recovery  from 
the  blow,  even  went  so  far  as  to  doubt  whether  it  had  been 
such  a  heart-stroke  after  all. 

Outward  acts  of  liberality  are  insignificant  compared  with 
generosity  of  soul ;  still  they  have  their  secret  spring  in  the 
heart,  and  often  carry  with  them  a  silent  appeal.  No  one 
who  had  the  slightest  acquaintance  with  Meredith  was  sur 
prised  to  learn  that  he  had  roused  the  gratitude  of  the 
village  by  the  profuseness  of  his  gifts  at  departure,  and  that, 
from  the  aged  brotherhood  of  Maronite  monks  to  the  young 
est  child  in  the  village  school,  none  was  left  without  a  token 


EL  FUEEIDIS.  173 

of  his  good-will.  These  deeds  of  bounty  \vere  natural,  and 
might  have  been  anticipated ;  but  a  deeper  chord  was 
touched,  and  deeper  memories  stirred  among  the  inmates 
of  the  villa,  as  many  a  trifling  circumstance  revealed,  when 
it  was  too  late  for  thanks,  their  recent  guest's  thoughtful- 
ness  for  those  whom  he  left  behind,  and  his  own  utter  self- 
abandonment.  He  took  with  him  only  what  his  bare 
necessities  required  ;  every  article,  whether  of  use  or  orna 
ment,  which  he  had  imported  into  the  villa,  every  curious 
relic,  every  costly  trifle,  his  most  elaborate  fire-arms,  his 
amber-mouthed  pipes,  all  were  found  in  their  accustomed 
places.  Not  a  book  among  the  library  brought  thither  from 
Beyrout  was  removed  from  its  shelf,  and  costly  furs,  and 
fabrics  of  Persian  manufacture,  were  found  heaped  together 
on  the  divan  of  his  room.  A  beautiful  gray  mare,  which 
Havilah  had  occasionally  ridden,  was  left  in  M.  Trefoil's 
stable,  the  gayly  housed  saddle  and  silver-mounted  bridle 
were  still  suspended  from  the  wall.  The  portfolio,  in  which 
Meredith's  pupil  had  sometimes  practised  drawing,  lay  upon 
her  stool  in  the  open  alcove,  every  pencil  and  crayon  freshly 
pointed  for  use. 

Among  all  the  contributions  to  comfort  and  enjoyment, 
which  had  dated  from  the  time  of  the  Englishman's  arrival, 
nothing  was  left  wanting  but  his  now  unwelcome  self. 

It  was  a  cold  and  comfortless  morning  when  Meredith 
bade  adieu  to  El  Fureldis.  So  chilly  was  the  atmosphere, 
so  keen  the  wind  on  the  mountains,  that  lanthe  dared  not 
follow  her  guest  to  the  threshold,  and  he  was  summoned  to 
an  inner  room  to  take  leave  of  her. 

The  change  in  the  season  was  making  its  mark  on  the 
invalid.  She  lay  on  her  couch  wrapped  in  a  long  white 
robe,  and  her  face  wore  the  pallor  of  the  grave.  Moved  by 
a  sudden  and  yet  solemn  impulse,  the  tall  Englishman  bent 


174  EL   FUREIDIS. 

forward  and  kissed  her  brow  reverentially,  as  one  kisses  the 
brow  of  the  dead.  It  brought  his  eyes  close  to  hers.  He 
seemed  to  read  her  soul.  "  Farewell,  madam,"  he  said, 
deeply  moved ;  "  I  shall  see  you  no  more  ;  but  my  time,  my 
wealth,  my  influence,  are  all  at  your  command.  I  can  never 
know  any  higher  joy  than  in  serving  you.  Only  give  me 
the  opportunity,  and  I  will  gladly  prove  to  you,  whenever 
and  wherever  I  may,  that  the  disappointed  lover  can  yet  be 
a  friend." 

"  God  bless  you ! "  said  lanthe,  "  and  farewell !  Few  men," 
she  added,  in  a  broken  voice,  "  could  do  as  you  have  done. 
Havilah's  mother  thanks  you,  and  will  not  forget." 

Havilah  stood  at  the  head  of  the  upper  flight  of  steps. 
She  had  witnessed  Meredith's  interview  with  her  mother. 
Large  tears  stood  in  her  eyes,  and  the  hand  which  she  of 
fered  in  parting  trembled  visibly.  Almost  any  other  man 
than  Meredith  would  have  been  emboldened  by  the  poor 
child's  agitation.  But  it  was  the  reverse  with  the  English 
man.  He  scarcely  ventured  to  clasp  the  little  fluttering 
hand,  dropped  it  as  if  fearful  his  touch  might  offend,  and 
with  husky  voice  ejaculated  the  hasty  word,  "  Good  by ! " 

Even  to  the  last  moment  the  excited  spirits  of  M.  Trefoil 
found  vent  in  the  eager  and  officious  zeal  with  which  he  de 
voted  himself  to  every  detail  of  the  travelling  accoutrement. 
Even  at  the  last  shaking  of  hands,  his  restless  eye  was  in 
specting  the  leather  strap  of  a  saddle-bag ;  even  when  the 
party  were  fairly  started,  he  ran  bare-headed  down  the  bri 
dle-path  to  suggest  an  alteration  in  the  length  of  Meredith's 
stirrup  ;  and  it  was  not  until  the  riders  had  finally  turned  the 
angle  of  the  granite  boulder,  and  were  lost  to  sight,  that  the 
good  man  drew  out  his  handkerchief,  wiped  his  ruddy  face, 
and  stifled  a  sigh  with  the  philosophical  soliloquy,  "  Heyday ! 
So  we  meet  and  part !  A  good  fellow  !  A  noble  fellow  ! 


EL  FUREIDIS.  175 

I  shall  miss  him  mightily.     But  such  is  life !     And  now  to 
my  day's  work  at  the  factory." 

The  travellers  had  scarcely  proceeded  ten  rods,  when  a 
low  cry  arrested  Meredith's  attention.  He  drew  in  his  horse, 
and,  peering  beneath  the  shadow  of  a  little  stone  enclosure 
or  shed,  beheld  stretched  upon  the  ground  the  nearly  life 
less  form  of  the  wounded  gazelle.  The  poor  animal  was 
in  the  agonies  of  death,  and  the  cry  which  had  reached 
Meredith's  ear  was  its  last  low  moan.  The  boy  Bachmet 
stood  beside  it  watching  its  struggles. 

Meredith  had  not  thought  of  the  little  creature  since  the 
day  when  he  brought  it  home  in  his  arms ;  but  he  waited 
now,  a  silent  spectator  of  the  scene,  until,  after  a  few  convul 
sive  twitchings,  it  stretched  itself  out  and  lay  stiff  and  still. 
The  boy  looked  up  with  an  expression  of  disappointment 
and  regret  in  his  face,  which  was  succeeded  by  a  glow  of 
grateful  surprise,  as  Meredith  leaned  from  his  horse  and 
placed  in  his  hand  the  silver  which  was  to  have  been  the 
reward  of  successful  treatment,  saying,  in  a  tone  full  of 
mournful  meaning :  "  It  is  not  your  fault,  my  boy ;  you 
have  done  the  best  you  could ;  there  are  some  wounds  that 
never  can  be  healed." 

At  the  door  of  Father  Lapierre's  dwelling  Meredith 
paused  again,  and  found  the  old  man,  staff  in  hand,  at  the 
threshold,  waiting  to  bestow  a  blessing  upon  him.  Spring 
ing  from  his  horse  and  leading  him  by  the  bridle,  Meredith 
walked  beside  the  venerable  priest,  who  insisted  upon  accom 
panying  him  to  the  farthest  extremity  of  the  village,  saying, 
"  I  was  the  first  to  welcome  you  to  El  Fureidis,  my  son,  I 
will  be  the  last  to  bid  you  farewell." 

But  the  village  benefactor  was  not  to  be  suffered  thus 
peacefully  to  depart  with  the  solitary  blessing  of  the  holy 
man  upon  his  head.  A  peasant  throng  had  assembled  to  do 


176  EL  FUREIDIS. 

him  honor ;  they  already  crowded  upon  his  steps ;  they  had 
marshalled  themselves  into  a  band,  and  hailed  him  with 
music  and  with  shouts  of  joy;  and  when,  after  proceeding 
some  distance  on  foot,  he  had  grasped  Father  Lapierre's« 
hand,  had  received  the  missionary's  final  benediction,  and 
had  mounted  his  horse  to  depart,  the  air  rang  with  the 
"  Sola  el  kaer !  "  (Be  this  a  blessed  day  to  ye  travellers !) 
which  was  the  unanimous  salutation  of  the  crowd. 

What  a  mockery  it  seemed  to  Meredith  !  What  a  mock 
ery  seemed  to  him  all  the  hospitalities,  honors,  and  joys 
which  he  had  experienced  in  El  Fureidis !  The  little  village 
had  dawned  upon  him  three  months  ago  as  an  Eden  of  rest ; 
its  united  voice  followed  him  now  with  a  triumphal  song ; 
but  it  had  lured  the  sick  of  body  to  a  short  repose,  only  to 
send  him  sick  at  heart,  empty,  and  beggared  away. 


EL  FUREIDIS.  177 


CHAPTER    XVII. 


WINTER  had  come  and  gone  upon  the  Lebanon.  Though 
short,  it  had  been  unusually  severe.  Piercing  winds  had  for 
some  weeks  prevailed,  and  the  early  and  latter  rains,  which 
in  the  valleys  were  profuse  and  violent,  had  descended  upon 
the  highlands  in  the  form  of  deep  and  drifting  snows. 
The  peasants  of  El  Fureidis  and  other  villages  of  similar 
altitude  had  encountered  on  their  mountains  all  the  priva 
tions  and  dangers  of  Alpine  life.  Some  had  even  perished 
of  cold  and  exposure  ;  and  not  a  few  had  seen  their  camels 
or  mules  sink  inextricably  in  the  snow,  and,  leaving  the 
poor  animals  to  their  fate,  had  made  their  way,  frost-bitten, 
to  the  nearest  place  of  shelter.  Nor  were  those  who  kept 
themselves  carefully  housed  exempt  from  a  share  in  the 
suffering  entailed  by  the  inclemency  of  the  season.  A  fa 
vored  climate  makes  men  improvident ;  and  in  a  region 
where  summer  ordinarily  prevails  for  ten  months  of  the 
year,  houses  are  ill  fitted  to  resist  the  cold,  the  supply  of 
fuel  is  often  insufficient,  and  at  best  the  confinement  within 
stone  walls  is  sadly  irksome  to  those  accustomed  to  luxuriate 
amid  soft  breezes  and  beneath  cloudless  skies. 

Never,  therefore,  was  spring  more  gladly  welcomed.  With 
the  first  peeping  forth  of  the  buds,  children's  faces  peeped 
out  too  from  the  half-open  doorways  ;  soon  young  and  old 
laughed  to  see  with  what  giant  strokes  Nature  was  putting 
on  her  colors ;  and  daisies,  clover,  and  scarlet  anemones 
8*  r, 


178  EL  FUREIDIS. 

laughed  back  from  every  sunny  slope.  The  heart  of  the 
husbandman  beat  high  with  hope  as  he  watched  the  watering 
of  the  ridges  and  the  settling  of  the  furrows,  and  marked  how 
the  paths  of  the  Lord  dropped  fatness.  Truly  might  it  be 
said  of  sacred  Lebanon,  "  The  little  hills  rejoice  on  every 
side.;  the  pastures  are  clothed  with  flocks ;  the  floods  clap 
their  hands  ;  the  valleys  shout  for  joy,  they  also  sing." 

The  Spring  is  royal  in  her  bounty,  she  is  prodigal  of  her 
wealth.  Not  only  does  she  renew  the  inhabited  parts  of  the 
earth,  but  the  solitary  places  are  made  glad  at  her  coming, 
the  lonely  isles  waft  fragrance,  the  desert  blossoms  like  the 
rose,  and  God  smiles  on  the  ruins  and  the  wrecks  which  man , 
has  long  since  forsaken. 

So  Esh-Shukif,  planted  on  a  ridge  of  the  Lebanon,  huge 
rampart  of  Sidonian  commerce,  the  Castle  Belfort  of  a  chiv 
alrous  age,  the  silent  monitor  of  later  times,  rears  itself  as 
a  monument  of  human  decay ;  but  is  written  all  over  with 
records  of  the  perennial  youth  distilled  upon  it  from  an 
Almighty  hand. 

No  watchman  is  now  stationed  at  the  loophole,  but  through 
chinks  and  •apertures  in  the  bevelled  masonry  streams  the 
same  sunshine  which  once  beat  on  the  head  of  the  Phoeni 
cian  guard  who  watched  the  approach  of  the  winding  cara 
van  ;  no  banner  floats  on  the  tower,  but  its  angles  are  defined 
against  the  same  blue  sky  beneath  which  Raynald  of  Nor 
mandy  unfurled  his  standard  to  the  breeze.  The  Latin  chapel 
no  longer  resounds  with  anthems,  masses,  or  Te-Deums,  but 
the  birds  of  heaven  have  built  their  nests  in  the  groined  ceil 
ing,  and  the  lonely  arches  re-echo  their  song ;  the  spacious 
parade-ground  is  no  longer  gay  with  the  splendors  of  Tyre 
or  the  chivalry  of  France,  but  through  the  crevices  of  its  dis 
jointed  stones  vegetation  has  forced  its  way,  and  neither  the 
march  of  men  nor  the  trampling  of  hoofs  disturbs  the  flowers 


EL  FUREIDIS.  179 

which  have  made  a  garden  of  the  spot.  No  barbarian 
horde,  no  Saracen  troop,  threatens  to  invade  the  empty 
fortress,  but  fifteen  hundred  feet  below  the  verge  of  the 
parapet  the  foaming  Litany  rushes  on  with  as  wild  a  roar 
as  when  it  formed  the  main  defence  of  the  castle,  and 
sounded  a  warning  to  the  foe. 

What  a  strange  old  solitude  it  is !  What  a  place  for 
meditation  and  self-communing !  —  a  place  where  the  earth- 
bound  soul  may  dream  and  sigh  and  grow  sad,  a  place 
where  the  uplifted  heart  must  wonder  and  adore. 

Spectres  of  the  past  are  reputed  to  haunt  such  spots. 
Nor  is  Esh-Shukif  without  its  ghostly  tenant,  if  we  may 
believe  the  report  now  agitating  the  village  of  Arnun, 
whose  superstitious  peasantry  have  caught  a  fresh  alarm 
concerning  their  grim  neighbor.  Seated  upon  the  rocks, 
beneath  a  spreading  tree,  which  is  the  trysting-spot  of  the 
little  hamlet,  the  eager  gossips  detail  their  startling  expe 
riences.  One  had  gone  to  look  for  his  donkey,  which  had 
a  habit  of  straying  into  the  vaulted  stables  of  the  castle ; 
but  while  scaling  the  difficult  pathway  the  poor  fellow's 
progress  had  been  arrested,  and  his  senses  bewildered,  by 
the  sight  of  a  gigantic  form  seated  upon  the  abutment,  and 
waving  him  back  by  a  forbidding  gesture.  Another,  lost 
at  night,  and  seeking  refuge  in  the  fortress,  had  heard 
heavy  footsteps  pacing  the  stone  threshold,  as  if  a  sentry 
were  stationed  there.  The  children  of  a  third  had  been 
checked  in  their  sports  amid  the  ruins,  and  sent  terror- 
stricken  home,  by  the  sighs  and  stifled  groans  which  had 
reached  their  ears  from  some  unknown  source ;  and  half  at 
least  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  village  were  ready  to  testify 
that  they  had  just  at  nightfall  observed  a  tall  figure,  stand 
ing  erect  and  still  as  a  statue,  upon  the  round  tower  at  the 
southwest  corner  of  the  castle. 


180  EL  FUEEIDIS. 

Let  the  ignorant  speculate  and  wonder.  Let  us  follow 
the  ghost,  and  see  if  we  cannot  detect  in  him  a  familar  ob 
ject.  There  he  is  just  ascending  to  his  nightly  watch.  The 
villagers  have  spoken  the  truth,  for  now  he  stands  upon 
his  post,  with  folded  arms,  looking  like  the  stony  apex  to  a 
monumental  column.  We  last  saw  him  mounting  his  horse 
and  bidding  farewell  to  El  Fureidis.  Where  has  he  been 
since  then,  and  how  comes  he  here? 

He  has  been  in  search  of  the  Lethean  spring.  He 
has  come  back  more  heavily  laden  than  ever  with  memo 
ries  that  will  not  sleep. 

He  has  traced  the  Tigris  and  the  Euphrates  to  their 
source ;  he  has  sought  out  the  spot  where  humanity  was 
cradled,  but  has  failed  to  renew  his  youth  ;  he  has  bathed  in 
the  sacred  river  of  the  Arabs,  but  its  healing  waters  have 
had  no  power  over  his  wounded  spirit.* 

In  the  disguise  of  a  Mussulman,  he  has  performed  the 
sacred  pilgrimage.  With  a  foreign  garb  and  a  foreign 
tongue,  he  has  imposed  on  the  sons  of  the  faithful.  He 
would  gladly  have  disbelieved  his  own  identity  ;  but  while 
others  were  unsuspiciously  silent,  an  inward  voice  contin 
ually  hailed  him  as  "  dog  of  an  unbeliever."  He  has  per 
formed  the  seven  perambulations  around  the  sacred  Kaaba, 
and  has  kissed  the  paradise  stone,  now  black  with  the  sins 
of  mankind.  The  monotonous  evolutions  were  simply  sym 
bolical  of  his  own  painful  round  0f  thought ;  the  darkened 
stone  was  like  the  pendulum  weight  which  time  had  hung 
upon  his  heart. 

He  has  ascended  the  Nile  and  wandered  among  the 
picturesque  ruins  of  Philae.  Alone  with  the  stupendous 

*  The  Tigris  and  Euphrates  take  their  source  at  the  foot  of  Mount 
Ararat,  where  Eden  is  supposed  to  have  existed.    (Gen.  ii.  14.) 
The  Arabs  have  faith  in  the  medicinal  virtues  of  the  Euphrates. 


EL  FUREIDIS.  181 

past,  he  has  striven  to  bury  his  individual  lot  amid  the 
wrecks  of  a  million  lives,  —  only  to  realize  with  keener 
pang  that  one  living  pain  is  mightier  than  a  dead  nation's 
woe. 

And  then  when  he  felt  himself  weary  of  wandering, 
when,  carrying  his  grief  everywhere,  he  became  accus 
tomed  to  the  burden,  when  he  looked  the  long  future  in 
the  face  and  saw  no  brighter  prospect,  this  disappointed 
man  began,  as  old  men  do,  to  live  in  the  distant  past.  • 
His  manhood  was  a  blighted,  hopeless  thing;  but  back 
in  the  past  lay  his  childhood,  —  a  fair  and  sunny  memory, 
around  which  his  tenderer  thoughts  might  safely  centre. 
It  seemed  to  him  that  he. could  lie  down  and  sleep  peace 
fully  beneath  the  grand  old  trees  which  had  sheltered 
him  after  his  boyish  fatigues ;  he  fancied  that  the  days 
would  be  less  long  amid  the  familiar  scenes  where  his 
school  vacations  had  sped  so  quickly ;  he  felt  himself  in 
vigorated  by  the  recollection  of  the  sturdy  independence 
with  which  his  father  exercised  sway  over  his  household 
and  tenantry ;  he  dreamed  of  the  repose  that  dwelt  in  the 
blue  eyes  of  his  earliest  playmate,  —  eyes  calm  and  un 
demonstrative,  but  sisterly  and  true. 

Yes,  he  would  go  home.  There  at  least  he  would  be 
welcome.  He  would  unite  with  his  father  in  schemes  of 
usefulness  ;  he  would  put  his  hand  in  his  sister's ;  he 
would  make  their  fireside  group  complete,  and  they  three 
would,  in  mutual  respect  and  love,  walk  life's  path  together. 

Who  says  that  fortune's  arrows  do  not  twice  hit  the 
mark,  that  the  lightning  strikes  but  once  in  a  single  spot  ? 
History  and  experience  both  testify  to  the  contrary,  for 
blow  follows  blow  in  a  nation's  career,  and  human  hearts 
seem  ruptured  only  to  pave  the  way  for  some  fresh  stroke. 

Meredith  had  reached  the  sea-coast,  and  was  about  to 


182  EL  FUEEIDIS. 

embark,  when  he  was  checked,  not  by  an  earthquake, — 
not  by  a  storm,  —  but  by  one  of  those  missives  from  afar 
which  have  convulsed  and  shipwrecked  many  a  life.  O, 
who  is  there  that  carries  not  for  ever  on  his  heart  one  of 
those  messengers  of  fate,  with  its  "  should  have  been  "  and 
its  "  in  vain."  There  was  a  sister's  rebuke,  mingling  with 
a  sister's  love,  in  the  opening  clause  of  the  letter  which 
said,  "  0  Robei-t,  you  should  have  been  here  to  close  our 
fathar's  eyes ; "  —  there  was  the  devotedness  and  the  grief 
of  a  friend^  no  less  than  of  a  servant,  in  the  words  of  the 
aged  srewand).  who  took  up  the  pen  where  the  dying  girl 
had  let  it  fall). and  wrote  with  trembling  hand  on  the  self 
same  page,  "  0  master,  dear  young  master,  we  did  all  we 
could  to  save  Miss  Flora,  but  it  was  in  vain." 

Both  dead  ?  Yes,  both.  The  old  man  fell  a  prey  to  a 
fierce  distemper ;  the  faithful  daughter  watched  beside  him 
to  the  last,  took  the  disease,  and  she  too  died. 

They  have  known  little  of  grief  who  have  never  felt 
remorse.  Bitterly  did  Meredith  realize  this,  as  now,  for 
the  first  time  in  his  life,  the  torturing  iron  of  self-accusa 
tion  entered  into  his  soul,  and  gave  a  tenfold  edge  to  the 
pang  of  bereavement.  Death  had  glorified  the  departed, 
but  their  death  had  revealed  to  him  his  true  self  in  colors 
darkened  by  an  imaginative  and  morbid  mind. 

The  father,  whose  prosaic  ideas  had  always  been  at  war 
with  his  son's  erratic  tastes ;  the  country  gentleman,  from 
whose  tiresome  social  routine  the  heir  of  the  estate  had 
held  himself  obstinately  aloof;  the  county  justice,  whom 
the  young  philosopher,  had  pitied  as  he  beheld  him  year 
after  year  balancing  the  petty  details  of  right  and  wrong,  — 
was  remembered,  now  that  the  grave  had  covered  him,  as 
the  injured  but  indulgent  parent,  the  hospitable  upholder 
of  an  ancient  line,  the  cherished  benefactor,  over  whose 


EL  FUREIDIS.  183 

ashes  the  humble  throng  would  shed  many  a  grateful 
tear.  The  sister,  who,  moving  in  her  little  domestic  sphere, 
had  led  a  life  seemingly  so  uneventful  as  scarcely  to  need 
a  brother's  sympathies,  was  imaged  to  him  now  as  the  se 
rene  soul  who,  for  aught  he  knew,  had  maintained  a  greater 
struggle  with  herself  than  any  he  had  been  called  on  to 
endure,  who,  consecrating  her  youth  to  the  happiness  of 
home,  had  perhaps  lived  a  heroine,  who  certainly  had 
died  a  martyr.  .  ••" 

And  what  was  he  who  was  now  left,  the  sole-  representa 
tive  of  their  heritage  and  their  good  name  ?•  -  A  renegade 
and  a  traitor,  —  a  man  who,  deaf  to  the  admonitions  of  con 
science,  had  wounded  the  hearts  that  loved  him,  had  for 
saken  the  holiest  duties,  had  met  the  punishment  that  was 
his  desert,  and  had  been  scourged  at  last  into  a  recollection 
of  nature's  claims  only  to  learn  that  it  was  too  late,  and 
that  those  claims  must  forever  remain  unfulfilled. 

It  is  easier  for  the  generous  and  sensitive  nature  to  en 
dure  grief  than  to  be  conscious  of  having  entailed  it  upon 
others.  Stoicism  and  philosophy  may  avail  in  the  one  case, 
in  the  other  they  are  powerless.  Meredith's  spirit  was  far 
more  crushed  by  the  sense  of  the  irremediable  wrong  he 
had  done,  than  by  the  anguish  he  was  called  upon  to  suffer. 
It  was  not  the  contrition  of  the  religious  soul,  but  it  was  the 
natural  humiliation  of  the  proud  heart  which  has  been 
outdone  in  filial  love  and  manly  self-sacrifice.  It  was  not 
submission,  but  it  resulted  in  a  prostration  of  self  as  utter 
and  entire  as  that  which  has  its  source  in  Christian  humil 
ity.  It  was  not  trust ;  it  was  helplessness. 

Nor  was  his  grief  at  Havilah's  coldness  any  longer 
what  it  had  been.  Not  that  this  grief  had  been  banished 
by  the  influx  of  a  fresh  tide  of  misfortunes,  but  its  charac 
ter  was  essentially  changed.  He  no  longer  rebelled  against 


184  EL  FUREIDIS. 

it  as  a  cruel  destiny.  He  accepted  it  rather  as  a  penance. 
"With  a  remorseful  sense  of  his  own  ill-deserts,  he  could 
almost  welcome  his  punishment;  he  knew  that  present 
pain  could  not  retrieve  the  past,  but  he  nevertheless  ac 
cepted  it  with  the  instinctive  hope  that  it  might  to  some 
degree  atone  for  it. 

It  was  in  this  spirit  that  he  wrapped  himself  in  sorrow, 
as  in  a  mantle  of  sackcloth,  and  bowed  his  head  to  the 
strokes  of  fate  as  meekly  as  the  monks  of  old  bowed  to 
receive  their  own  self-torturing  flagellations.  It  was  in 
this  spirit  that  he  left  Sidon,  whence  he  had  intended 
to  set  sail  for  England,  and  alone  and  on  foot  made  his 
way  to  the  solitary  castle  of  Esh-Shukif.  It  was  in  this 
spirit  that  he  had  wandered  for  days  among  the  ruins, 
startling  the  peasant  by  the  fixedness  of  his  attitude, 
affrighting  the  children  by  the  long-drawn  sighs  that 
echoed  through  aisle  and  corridor,  and  exciting  the  won 
der  of  the  rude  populace,  who  watched  the  afflicted  man 
standing  on  the  watch-tower  with  face  uplifted  as  if  in 
appeal  to  Heaven. 

It  would  have  been  well  for  him  if  his  appeal  had  been 
to  Heaven.  But  it  was  not.  Look  at  him  now.  His  gaze 
wanders  over  earth,  sea,  and  sky,  like  that  of  some  lost 
wayfarer  who  has  ascended  to  a  lofty  post  of  observa 
tion  hoping  to  gain  sight  of  the  missing  track.  Whither 
shall  he  go  ?  For  that  is  indeed  the  question  he  is  striv 
ing  to  settle.  We  congratulate  ourselves  that  the  world 
is  wide,  and  boast  of  our  individual  independence ;  but  few 
men  are  so  insignificant  or  so  free  that  their  actions  can 
continue  long  unquestioned,  and  our  English  exile  is  not 
yet  so  forsaken  of  his  kind  that  he  can  be  suffered  to 
ruminate  any  longer  in  an  old  and  ruinous  castle,  destitute 
of  all  the  comforts  of  civilized  life.  The  British  Consul 


EL  FUREIDIS.  185 

at  Sidon,  whose  guest  he  has  recently  been,  has  become 
anxious  at  his  long  absence.  Abdoul,  still  in  Meredith's 
service,  and  left  in  charge  of  his  effects,  has  confessed  to 
some  suspicion  of  his  intended  pilgrimage  to  the  fortress, 
and  has  been  sent  in  search  of  him.  The  young  Arab 
has  followed  skilfully  on  his  master's  route,  has  this  day 
arrived  at  the  castle,  bringing  with  him  horses,  sumpter 
mules,  and  other  travelling  equipments.  He  has  announced 
himself  and  his  errand,  has  stabled  the  weary  animals,  and, 
while  waiting  further  orders,  has  fallen  asleep  in  one  of 
the  deserted  stalls.  It  only  remains  now  for  Meredith  to 
decide  upon  his  future  course. 

It  is  sunset,  and  nature  lies  spread  out  before  him  like  a 
gilded  map.  He  turns  around  and  faces  the  different  points 
of  the  compass ;  but  no  beckoning  hand  is  held  out  from  any 
quarter.  The  great  mountains  of  the  north  seem  to  frown 
upon  him ;  he  can  almost  feel  Jhe  hot  sun  of  the  south  beat 
ing  on  his  brow ;  on  the  east  lies  an  untrodden  desert ;  he 
fancies,  as  he  bends  a  listening  ear  towards  the  west,  that  he 
can  hear  the  sea  whispering  solemn  dirges.  Can  either 
path  be  expected  to  lure  the  traveller  ?  The  sun  goes  down. 
Gray  twilight  overspreads  the  landscape.  Lost  in  gloomy 
apathy,  the  watchman  on  the  tower  gazes  abstractedly  on  a 
little  cloud,  the  only  spot  on  the  otherwise  cloudless  blue. 
It  floats  on  and  on,  as  if  like  himself  it  were  the  sport  of 
fate.  It  sails  over  his  head,  hovers  a  moment  on  the  sum 
mit  of  Jebel  Rihan,  then  skirts  the  snowy  crest  of  Hermon, 
and  at  length  pauses  just  above  Lebanon,  above  the  very 
spot  where  nestles  the  little  village  of  El  Fureidis.  The 
sun  has  long  been  hid  behind  the  horizon,  and  the  trail  of 
light  which  the  great  lamp  of  day  left  behind  it  has  almost 
vanished ;  but  the  little  cloud,  as  if  by  some  magnetic  power, 
gathers  up  and  concentrates  the  scattered  rays,  glows  awhile 


186  EL   FUBETOIS. 

in  rosy  brightness,  then  melts  into  the  ether  and  dis 
appears. 

The  mind  that  is  subdued  and  weakened  by  suffering  is 
often  guided  by  a  shadow,  and  reads  an  omen  in  a  cloud. 
Meredith  had  unconsciously  watched  the  airy  wreath  of 
Tapor,  as  if  it  were  about  to  furnish  an  index  to  his  uncer 
tainties.  His  pulse  almost  ceased  beating  as  he  saw  it  settle 
over  Lebanon.  As  it  glowed  in  the  red  light,  it  seemed  to 
his  excited  fancy  like  a  finger  of  fire  pointing  downwards. 
As  it  faded  away,  he  fancied  it  a  messenger  whose  errand 
was  fulfilled. 

Should  he  submit  to  its  guidance?  Should  he  follow 
where  it  led  ?  Should  he  return  to  the  spot  of  which  he 
could  not  think  without  a  pang  ?  The  profuse  perspiration 
which  started  to  his  brow  betrayed  a  momentary  conflict. 
Had  there  been  no  such  conflict,  the  fiery  hand  might  per 
haps  have  beckoned  to  him  in  vain.  But  in  the  very  pain 
that  it  cost  him  his  morbid  mind  saw  a  reason  for  obedi 
ence.  It  would  be  no  joy  to  revisit  the  scene  of  his  dis 
appointment,  —  it  would  be  agony  to  witness  Havilah  in  the 
experience  of  that  innocent  happiness  from  which  he  was 
forever  shut  out  To  see  her  thus,  himself  unseen,  and  then 
depart  alone,  would  be  to  drain  the  cup  of  bitterness  to  its 
dregs.  "  Go,  then,"  whispered  the  persecuting  spirit  of 
self-reproach  ;  and  passively  yielding  to  the  imaginary  man 
date,  Meredith  resolved  to  perform  unshrinkingly  this  fur 
ther  act  of  penance  which  destiny  seemed  to  demand  of  him. 
"Was  there  something  sophistical  and  false  in  this  mental 
verdict  ?  Was  there  all  the  while  a  more  secret  whisper 
still,  which  invited  him  to  return  to  El  Fureidis,  —  a  strange 
fascination  which  lured  him  thither  in  spite  of  contemplated 
pain  ?  We  may  not  telL  It  is  sufficient  that,  if  so,  he  was 
himself  deceived,  and  that  never  did  devotee  pledge  himself 


EL   FUEEIDIS.  187 

to  the  performance  of  a  sacred  pilgrimage  with  more  super 
stitious  zeal,  than  that  with  which  Meredith  rowed  to  laj 
this  final  act  of  self-sacrifice  on  the  atoning  altar. 

Decision  of  purpose  instilled  into  him  new  life.  He 
descended  from  the  tower  and  crossed  the  court-yard  in 
haste,  a3  if  fearing  his  resolution  might  fail  him.  His 
horse  knew  his  master's  step  and  neighed,  thus  guiding 
him  to  the  spot  where  Abdoul  lay  sleeping.  "  Wake,  Ab- 
doul ! "  exclaimed  Meredith,  tapping  the  youth  on  the 
shoulder.  "  Secure  your  mules,"  and  he  pointed  to  one 
which  had  escaped  from  its  tethering  ring.  "Feed  and 
groom  the  horses  well  We  have  a  three  days' journey 
before  us,  for  to-morrow  we  start  for  El  Fureidis." 


188  EL  FUREIDIS. 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

IT  was  at  the  close  of  a  sultry  April  day  that  our  travel 
lers  once  more  approached  El  Fureidis.  Here  and  there 
a  familiar  object  close  to  the  bridle-path  indicated  their 
vicinity  to  the  village,  but  no  glimpse  of  church  or  hamlet 
cheered  their  gaze,  or  encouraged  their  weary  animals  to 
speed,  for  every  distant  object  was  veiled  beneath  a  thick 
cloud  of  mist.  Their  journey  had  been  shorter  than  on 
the  preceding  days,  and  neither  men  nor  horses  had  been 
exposed  to  any  extraordinary  fatigue.  And  yet  the  riders 
bent  in  their  saddles,  the  tired  steeds  stretched  their  necks, 
and,  at  times,  almost  refused  to  proceed ;  even  the  trees 
overhead  and  the  flowers  that  lined  the  road  hung  their 
leaves  listlessly,  as  if  deprived  of  life  and  motion. 

All  nature  drooped,  for  the  sirocco  was  abroad,  that  blast 
ing  wind  which  brings  with  it  a  thick  atmosphere,  covers 
the  sky  with  vapor,  and  saps  the  vitality  alike  of  the  animal 
and  vegetable  world.  So  noxious  is  the  effect  of  this  visita 
tion,  that  one  needs  not  to  be  the  owner  of  a  mulberry  plan 
tation  or  an  olive  orchard  to  dread  its  fatal  influence.  The 
husbandman  and  the  vine-dresser  may  have  most  reason, 
indeed,  to  mourn  over  their  blighted  harvests ;  but  during 
the  prevalence  of  the  sirocco,  the  mental  and  physical  de 
pression  consequent  upon  it  is  almost  universal. 

Meredith  required  no  such  climatic  agency  to  shroud  his 
spirits  in  gloom ;  but  its  action  upon  his  muscular  system 


EL  FUREIDIS.  189 

was  palpable,  and  his  whole  frame  was  enervated  as  if  sick 
ness  were  creeping  over  him,  while  Abdoul's  eye  lost  its 
accustomed  fire,  and  in  unresisting  feebleness  he  bent  over 
his  saddle-bow,  until  his  head  almost  rested  upon  the  neck 
of  his  mare.  The  stillness,  too,  was  oppressive.  It  would 
have  been  refreshing  to  catch  some  natural  sound,  some 
thing  which  might  betoken  a  welcome.  But  all  nature  was 
silent.  The  Syrian  peasant  usually  sings  cheerily  at  his 
work ;  but  not  only  was  the  ploughman's  voice  unheard,  —  the 
plough  itself  seemed  to  be  forsaken.  Even  when  the  travel 
lers  had  gained  the  precincts  of  the  village,  and  its  cottages 
were  glimmering  through  the  haze,  one  might  almost  have 
believed  that  a  deep  sleep  had  fallen  upon  the  place,  the 
stillness  was  so  unbroken.  But  all  do  not  sleep,  for  hark ! 
surely  there  is  the  sound  of  the  bell.  Yes,  the  church-bell, 
and  it  is  not  the  Sabbath.  Is  it  the  density  of  the  atmos 
phere  which  makes  the  sound  so  muffled  ?  is  it  faintness  of 
heart  which  makes  it  seem  to  the  listener  so  hollow,  fune 
real,  and  cold  ?  No,  it  is  the  tolling  bell,  —  and  the  convent 
bell  tolls  too,  —  and  across  the  opposite  valley  comes  the  toll 
of  some  other  sympathetic  chime. 

And  what  is  that  just  glimmering  through  the  fog,  and 
gliding  ghost-like  around  the  tower  of  the  church  ?  How 
noiselessly  it  moves  on,  like  some  opaque  mass,  borne  along 
by  the  mist !  how  like  a  long,  dark  wreath  of  smoke  it 
winds  up  the  curving  pathway,  and  melts  into  the  distance  ! 
It  is  difficult  to  distinguish  any  object  in  the  dim  procession, 
but  now  and  then  the  fog  lifts  a  little,  and  the  floating  body 
takes  substance  and  form.  What  a  contrast  does  it  present 
to  the  bridal  train  which,  only  a  few  months  ago,  made  the 
village  gay  with  its  music,  its  shouts,  and  its  decorations 
glistening  in  the  sunshine !  Now  one  may  see,  darkly  as 
through  a  cloud,  figures  that  "move  slowly,  keeping  time  to 


190  EL  FUREIDIS. 

the  tolling  bell ;  here  the  hazy  opening  discloses  a  band  of 
sturdy  artisans,  strong-limbed  and  firm,  marching  gravely  in 
single  file.  A  group  of  children  follow,  huddled  together, 
clinging  to  each  other's  hands,  and  looking  back  over  their 
shoulders  ;  they  watch  the  approach  of  an  old  man,  who, 
with  bare  head  and  snowy  locks,  precedes  a  company  of  rus 
tic  youths,  moving  in  double  line,  and  bending  as  if  in  their 
midst  they  bore  a  burden.  A  strongly-built  man  and  a  frail 
girl  come  next ;  he  totters,  but  she  moves  like  one  who 
treads  the  clouds  beneath  her  feet ;  he  leans  heavily  on  her 
arm,  but  she  bears  him  bravely  up  :  it  is  the  weak  support 
ing  the  strong.  Sweeping  robes  and  white  veils  mingle 
with  the  fog,  as  the  village  matrons  in  their  turn  file  past, 
the  muslin  folds  that  hang  suspended  from  their  tall  tantours 
falling  heavily,  like  the  melancholy  sails  which  in  a  calm  at 
sea  cling  idly  to  the  masts.  Dark  and  sombre  is  the  column 
that  brings  up  the  rear  of  this  sad  procession.  It  consists 
of  the  Maronite  friars,  whose  withered  faces,  black  robes, 
and  monkish  cowls,  no  less  than  their  dejected  air,  make 
them  worthy  representatives  of  the  mournful  scene  in  which 
they  bear  a  part. 

Seated  upright  in  T&is  saddle,  at  the  point  where  he  and 
Abdoul  had  made  a  simultaneous  halt,  Meredith  gazed  upon 
this  shadowy  panorama  with  the  bewilderment  of  one  in  a 
trance,  until,  as  the  last  figure  in  the  train  disappeared,  leav 
ing  a  blank  behind  it,  the  Englishman  Avas  roused  by  a 
sharp  cry,  succeeded  by  a  deep  guttural  sob.  He  turned 
suddenly  round,  just  in  time  to  catch  sight  of  his  Arab  com 
panion,  from  whom  the  outburst  of  distress  had  proceeded, 
and  who  at  the  same  instant  had  slipped  from  his  horse,  and, 
indifferent  to  the  fate  of  the  beast,  had  darted  away  in 
the  direction  that  the  villagers  had  taken.  The  wailing 
cry  of  the  boy  and  his  rapid  flight  sent  conviction  to  the 


EL  FUREIDIS.  191 

otherwise  doubtful  mind  of  Meredith.  Like  one  believing 
himself  in  a  horrid  dream,  and  finding  it  a  reality,  he  made 
haste  to  imitate  the  youth's  example,  and,  wrapped  in  the 
voluminous  folds  of  a  meshlak,  and  hidden  by  the  fog,  he  in 
a  few  moments  found  himself  one  of  the  throng  that  were 
gathered  around  the  grave  of  lanthe.  "  Earth  to  earth, 
ashes  to  ashes,  dust  to  dust,"  said  the  aged  preacher,  while 
the  young  men  lowered  the  coffin.  His  voice,  though  sub 
dued,  was  sonorous  and  clear.  It  filled  the  space  around 
Ayn  el  Bered,  near  which  lanthe  had  asked  to  be  laid ;  it 
could  be  heard  by  the  outermost  in  the  ring  gathered 
about  the  freshly  dug  grave.  But  few  realized  the  sense  of 
the  words,  few  watched  the  solemn  act  of  the  young  men,  for 
all  eyes  were  turned  in  anxious  pity  on  the  master.  As  the 
first  shovelful  of  earth  fell  with  heavy  sound,  he  started  fotv 
ward,  exclaiming  in  a  tone  of  moaning  and  expostulation : 
"  No,  no,  I  cannot  leave  her  here,  —  tell  them  to  stop.  She 
cannot  sleep  in  the  cold  ground." 

He  would  have  interrupted  the  labor,  but  a  tender  hand 
restrained  him.  "  Hush,  dear !  hush  ! "  a  persuasive  voice 
at  the  same  time  whispered  in  his  ear.  "  She  will  not  sleep ; 
she  will  wake  in  the  beautiful  heav#0| 

"  I  loved  her,  O  how  I  loved  her ! "  he  murmured ; 
"  how  can  they  take  her  away  from  me  ?  "  and  he  broke 
into  a  prolonged  cry,  much  like  that  of  an  infant. 

"  Don't  cry,  father,  don't  cry,"  said  Havilah,  in  a  beseech 
ing  tone,  at  the  same  time  drawing  him  close  to  her.  She 
had  mounted  a  rough  stone  at  the  foot  of  the  fountain,  so 
that,  as  she  put  her  arm  around  his  neck,  his  head  rested  on 
her  shoulder,  and  her  mouth  was  close  to  his  ear.  "  Re 
member  what  she  said  to  you,"  continued  the  encouraging 
voice,  the  service  meanwhile  going  forward  uninterrupted 
by  the  half-articulate  dialogue  between  father  and  child,  — 


192  EL  FUREIDIS. 

"  remember  what  she  said :  '  Bear  it  like  a  man,  Augustine, 
bear  it  like  a  man,  and  the  Lord  will  help  you.' " 

"  0,  she  said  many  things,"  said  the  mourner,  in  a  piteous 
tone,  "  many  things,  —  and  all  her  words  were  kind ;  but 
she  will  never  speak  to  me  again.  Why  need  they  put  her 
under  the  ground?  She  did  not  look  as  if  she  were  dead." 
And  he  once  more  endeavored  to  break  from  Havilah's  hold, 
and  interrupt  what  seemed  to  him  the  cruel  work  of  burial. 

"  Don't  leave  me,  dear,"  said  Havilah,  soothingly,  and 
laying  her  cheek  against  his  ;  "  we  will  stand  here  together, 
and  be  very  quiet,  and  listen  to  what  the  good  father  says. 
There,  that  is  right.  Hark  !  now  he  is  telling  us  of  Jesus, 
—  the  compassionate  one,  —  the  Comforter." 

The  poor  man  stood  still  and  listened ;  but  he  heard  only 
the  sound  of  the  falling  clods,  and  his  tempest  of  sorrow, 
lulled  for  an  instant,  burst  forth  again  with  renewed  vehe 
mence.  Every  moaning  wave,  however,  broke  upon  her 
breast;  her  breath  assuaged  the  storm;  and  now  by  the 
force  of  a  loving  word,  now  by  the  power  of  a  will  superior 
to  his  own,  she  contrived  to  hold  his  spirit  in  check,  until  the 
grave  was  filled  and  the  service  ended. 

The  young  men  took  up  the  empty  bier  and  turned  to 
depart.  The  crowd  held  back  and  hesitated,  waiting  for  the 
bereaved  husband  and  child  to  precede  them ;  but  M.  La- 
pierre,  who  foresaw  some  difficulty  in  withdrawing  M.  Tre 
foil  from  the  spot,  made  a  sign  to  the  villagers  to  move  on  in 
advance.  They  went  as  they  came,  the  Maronite  monks 
last.  The  convent  group  had  been  respectfully  allotted  the 
space  close  around  the  grave.  Their  knees  shook,  and  their 
long  beards  were  sprinkled  with  the  tears  that  fell  from 
their  dimmed  eyes,  as  they  perambulated  the  mound  of  earth, 
and  sealed  the  ritual,  each  with  his  muttered  Ace.  In  this 
mountain-seat  of  religious  freedom,  none  dreamed  of  ex- 


EL  FUREIDIS.  193 

pressing  disapprobation  of  their  prayers,  even  by  a  look,  as 
no  sacrilegious  hand  had  ventured  to  remove  the  rude  cross, 
mutual  emblem  of  faith,  which  the  Superior  had  dropped 
upon  the  coffin.  The  simple  fathers  came  in  charity,  and 
would  fain  leave  behind  them  a  blessing. 

M.  Trefoil  leaned  forward  with  a  stupefied  air,  and 
watched  the  motions  of  the  retreating  company.  Havilah's 
countenance,  meanwhile,  was  that  of  one  who  is  invoking 
aid  in  view  of  some  difficult  task. 

"  Come,  now !  "  she  said,  gently,  when  all  but  the  pastor 
of  the  flock  had  vanished  down  the  pathway,  —  "come!" 
and  she  held  out  her  hand  to  her  father. 

"  Come  where  ? "  and  he  looked  at  her  with  a  vacant 
eye. 

"  Home,"  she  faltered  ;  "  see,  they  have  all  gone  home." 

"  No,  not  all,"  he  answered,  in  the  tone  of  a  grieved 
child.  "  She  has  not  gone,"  and  he  pointed  to  the  grave ; 
"  it  will  not  be  home  without  her.  Don't  let  us  go  there," 
he  added,  beseechingly,  "let  us  stay  here  with  her,  Ha- 
vilah,  —  you  and  I." 

"  She  is  not  here,  dear,"  said  Havilah ;  "  we  can  hardly 
see  the  grave  now  through  the  thick  fog.  We  will  go  and 
sit  in  her  room,  where  her  couch  is.  It  will  seem  then  as 
if  we  saw  her  and  heard  her  speak.  I  will  sing  you  the 
evening  song.  Do  you  remember  she  used  to  say,  '  Havi 
lah  will  sing  the  evening  song  to  you,  Augustine,  when  /am 
gone  ? '  I  always  sang  it  at  sunset,  you  know.  Come,  or  it 
will  be  too  late." 

He  glanced  at  the  western  sky,  put  his  hand  trustingly  in 
hers,  but  seemed  unwilling  to  move  from  the  spot. 

"  Who  will  take  care  of  her  ?  "  he  muttered,  "  if  I  leave 
her  here  alone  ?  Will  Father  Lapierre  stay  and  watch 
beside  her,  as  he  used  to  do  ?  "  —  and  he  anxiously  scanned 
9  M 


194  EL  FUREIDIS. 

the  face  of  the  pastor,  who  approached  with  the  view  of  aid 
ing  Havilah's  persuasive  efforts. 

"  She  does  not  need  him  any  more,"  said  Havilah,  in  a 
confident  tone.  "  She  always  wished  that  her  body  might 
sleep  at  Ayn  el  Bered,  and  her  spirit  is  safe  in'  the  bosom  of 
the  Almighty  Father.  "We  will  come  here  again  to-mor 
row,  when  perhaps  the  sun  will  be  shining  on  the  place  ; 
but  we  must  go  home  now.  See !  Father  Lapierre  is  wait 
ing  for  us ;  and  good  Father  Lapierre  is  tired." 

They  led  him  away.  Now  and  then  he  looked  back  as  if 
reluctant  to  proceed.  Once  he  stopped,  sat  down  on  a  step 
in  the  rocky  pathway,  and  covered  his  face  with  his  hands ; 
but  they  were  patient  with  him,  and  lured  him  gently  on, 
through  the  village  and  beyond  the  mulberry  orchard,  to 
experience  in  his  home  the  bitter  desolation  of  those  who 
have  burried  their  dead  out  of  their  sight. 

But  the  grave  was  not  deserted  yet.  A  tall  figure, 
wrapped  in  a  cloak,  emerged  from  behind  the  clumsy  ma 
sonry  of  the  fountain,  and  he  who  had  stood  sentry  for  many 
a  night  at  Castle  Belfort  now  paced  up  and  down  beside  the 
newly-made  grave,  like  one  set  there  to  watch. 

And  when  the  darkness  had  become  blackness,  and  the 
fog  had  shut  close  down  upon  the  earth,  and  the  Englishman 
had  departed  to  seek  shelter  for  the  night,  it  seemed  only  as 
if  he  had  been  relieved  at  his  post ;  for,  as  his  retreating 
footstep  died  away,  a  lithe  form  darted  from  the  thicket,  and 
threw  itself,  face  downwards,  upon  the  damp  grave,  which 
it  strove  to  embrace  in  its  long  arms.  And  there,  with 
turban  drawn  low  over  his  head,  and  body  stretched  on  the 
narrow  bed  of  earth,  the  son  of  Ishmael  mourned  with 
frantic  grief  over  the  friend  and  comforter  of  his  child 
hood  ;  wearying  the  night  with  a  shrill,  pitiful  cry,  like  that 
to  which  the  camel  of  the  desert  gives  utterance  when  its 
burden  is  greater  than  it  can  bear. 


EL  FUREIDIS.  195 

Meredith  had  journeyed  to  El  Fureidis  like  one  bent  on 
a  purpose.  This  purpose,  however,  had  found  its  fulfilment 
in  the  moment  of  his  arrival ;  for  beyond  this,  he  had  formed 
no  plan,  even  in  his  thought,  leaving  himself  wholly  to  the 
direction  of  impulse,  or,  as  he  would  perhaps  have  termed  it, 
destiny. 

Nor,  trusting  to  guidance,  did  he  find  himself  disap 
pointed.  His  best  conceived  plan  of  action  would  doubtless 
have  been  frustrated  by  the  unforeseen  calamity  which  had 
plunged  the  neighborhood  into  mourning ;  but  in  the  circum 
stances  attendant  upon  this  event,  a  course  had  suggested 
itself  less  open  to  objection  than  any  that  might  otherwise 
have  occurred  to  him. 

He  would  not  have  intruded  upon  his  friends  on  any 
terms,  much  less  in  their  hour  of  sorrow ;  he  could  not 
haunt  the  village  as  a  spy ;  to  betray  his  presence  to  the 
peasantry  would  be  to  expose  himself  at  once  to  those  hos 
pitable  solicitations  which  he  was  anxious  to  avoid ;  but  as 
he  reviewed  the  retreating  band  of  mourners,  his  eye 
marked  one  who  combined  all  the  requisites  he  desired  in 
a  host,  and  he  unhesitatingly  resolved  to  follow  the  little 
company  of  Maronite  friars,  and  seek  to  be  installed  as  the 
guest  of  the  convent  Superior.  In  the  sacred  retreat  of  the 
monastery  he  would  find  repose  and  privacy;  morning  might 
reveal  the  news  of  his  return,  but  he  should  be  beyond  the 
reach  of  curiosity  or  comment.  Abdoul  even  would  be 
ignorant  of  his  hiding-place ;  and  here,  a  recluse  among  re 
cluses,  he  might,  himself  unseen,  overlook  the  village  of  El 
Fureidis,  and  from  time  to  tune  gain  tidings  of  his  afflicted 
friends. 

Had  he  known  how  impenetrable  the  fog  would  become 
at  nightfall,  he  would  have  realized  the  importance  of  fol 
lowing  close  upon  the  footsteps  of  the  brethren ;  but  disre- 


196  EL   FUEEIDIS. 

garding  this  obstacle  to  mountain  travel,  he  lingered,  as  we 
have  seen,  at  the  grave,  then  made  a  wide  circuit  to  avoid 
passing  through  the  village,  and  when  he  finally  turned  into 
the  pathway  leading  down  the  wady,  the  darkness  and  the 
mist  were  such  that  he  could  not  distinguish  a  single  step  in 
advance.  The  path  was  familiar,  however,  for  he  had  trod 
it  many  times  since  the  day  of  his  first  excursion  to  the  con 
vent  in  the  company  of  Havilah,  and,  undismayed  by  the 
night  and  the  fog,  he  pressed  forward  with  a  rapid  step,  and 
gained  the  foot  of  the  ravine  in  safety.  But  here  his  pro 
gress  was  suddenly  arrested.  The  little  stream  which  Havi 
lah  had  crossed  dry-shod,  increased  by  the  winter  rains  and 
the  thawing  of  the  snow  on  the  mountains,  had  swelled  into 
a  rapid  and  powerful  torrent,  many  feet  in  depth,  while  the 
cascade  alone  had  become  a  heavy  waterfall,  which  almost 
deafened  Meredith  with  its  roar.  It  was  impossible  to  cross 
the  flood  as  formerly.  Even  had  its  depth  been  less,  the 
force  of  the  current  would  have  swept  him  away,  and  he 
was  reluctantly  compelled  to  abandon  the  attempt.  He 
now  bethought  him  of  a  small  stone-arched  bridge,  located 
higher  up  the  stream ;  and  following  the  noise  of  the 
rushing  water,  and  making  his  way  as  well  as  he  could 
through  the  tangled  brushwood  on  the  banks,  he  toiled 
on  for  more  than  an  hour,  and  at  length  gained  the  de 
sired  point  As  he  placed  his  foot  on  the  bridge  he  felt 
it  totter  beneath  him ;  he  drew  back  and  hesitated  for  a  mo 
ment  He  knew  by  the  sound,  that  the  water,  the  surface 
of  whose  channel  was  ordinarily  many  feet  beneath  the  spot 
where  he  stood,  had  risen  to  a  height  equal  to  that  of  the 
bridge.  He  could  even  hear  the  waves  now  and  then 
dashing  over  the  rough  logs  which  were  placed  transversely 
across  the  arch,  and  constituted  the  flooring  of  the  struc 
ture.  It  was  an  unpleasant  crisis,  but  there  seemed  to 


EL  FUKEIDIS.  197 

him  no  alternative,  and  he  resolved  to  risk  the  passage. 
His  first  step  reassured  him.  The  wood-work,  it  was 
true,  heaved  with  the  pressure  of  the  flood,  but  the  sup 
ports  were  evidently  firm.  Unconscious  of  danger,  he  had 
nearly  gained  the  opposite  bank  when  he  encountered  an 
insidious  pitfall,  bringing  down  his  foot  at  the  point  where 
a  single  log  had  been  displaced  and  carried  down  the  stream. 
One  leg  was  instantly  immersed  in  the  cold  torrent,  the  other 
barely  escaped  being  fractured  by  the  shock,  and  the  whole 
man  was  violently  precipitated  against  the  rock-lined  shore. 
With  some  difficulty  he  recovered  his  footing,  and  clam 
bered  up  the  bank.  At  the  same  instant  a  severe  twinge, 
from  wrist  to  shoulder,  convinced  him  of  some  serious  in 
jury  to  his  right  arm,  which  had  received  the  full  force  of 
his  fall. 

Painfully  now  did  he  struggle  forward.  The  water  had 
splashed  over  his  whole  person,  and  drenched  him  to  the 
skin ;  his  hat  had  been  carried  down  the  stream,  and  the 
pain  of  his  wounded  limb  became  every  moment  more 
intense.  The  power  of  his  will,  however,  was  in  no  degree 
weakened.  It  borrowed  strength  rather  from  his  physical 
sufferings.  He  felt  himself  disabled.  He  really  longed  for 
rest  and  shelter.  It  was  a  satisfaction  to  long  for  anything, 
and  the  motive  spurred  him  on.  With  his  left  arm  he 
parted  the  thick  shrubbery ;  the  hair  of  his  bare  head  now 
and  then  became  entangled  in  the  brushwood ;  his  clothes 
were  torn ;  but  he  retraced  his  course  down  the  stream  to 
the  usual  fording-place  in  safety,  struck  into  the  direct  path 
to  the  convent,  and  at  length  caught  sight  of  a  light  which 
glimmered  within  the  court-yard,  and,  reflected  in  the  fog, 
guided  him  in  safety  to  the  portal. 

It  was  with  difficulty  that  he  gained  admittance.  Visitors 
at  the  monastery,  unusual  at  all  times,  were  unknown  at 


198  EL  FUREIDIS. 

this  hour  of  the  night,  and  it  was  only  after  repeated  knock- 
ings  that  he  made  himself  heard.  Even  then  the  entrance 
was  cautiously  unbarred ;  nor  did  old  Ambrose  dare  present 
himself  alone ;  and  when  the  gate  at  last  vibrated  slowly  on 
its  hinges,  and  disclosed  a  few  inches  of  space,  no  less  than 
three  withered  faces  peered  through  the  narrow  aperture. 
The  monks  had  prudently  left  a  door  of  communication 
open  between  themselves  and  the  other  brethren,  and  the 
light  from  the  inner  court-yard  fell  full  on  the  face  of  Mere 
dith  ;  but,  disguised  as  he  was  by  his  torn  garments,  the 
pallor  of  his  complexion,  his  dishevelled  hair,  and  the  un 
natural  manner  in  which  he  was  compelled  to  carry  his 
bruised  arm,  they  wholly  failed  to  recognize  him,  and  would 
have  shut  the  door  in  his  face  had  he  not  made  haste  to 
reassure  them  by  the  words  in  which  he  craved  their 
hospitality. 

u  The  blessed  Lady  Mary  have  compassion  on  us ! "  cried 
'Father  Ambrose,  as  his  dull  ear  caught  the  Saxon  accent,  — 
"  it  is  the  Englishman ! "  And  immediately  the  gate  was 
suffered  to  swing  wide,  six  bony  hands  were  simultaneously 
extended  for  the  guest's  reception,  and  with  a  profusion  of 
blessings  and  welcomes  the  friars  ushered  the  traveller 
within  the  portal. 

Dreary  as  the  old  stone  court-yard  might  look  at  noon 
on  a  summer's  day,  it  presented  now  to  the  wayfarer,  who 
contrasted  it  only  with  the  cold  and  darkness  which  he  had 
left  behind  him,  a  cheering  picture  of  warmth  and  comfort. 
A  fire  of  logs  blazed  in  the  centre,  and  sent  forth  a  ruddy 
glow  upon  the  faces  of  the  fraternity,  whose  benches  were 
drawn  in  a  circle  around  their  primitive  hearthstone,  and 
who,  leisurely  smoking  their  pipes,  were  engaged  mean 
while  in  congenial  intercourse.  It  is  true,  their  theme  was 
a  sad  one,  for  they  discoursed  of  lanthe;  but  they  had 


EL  FUKEIDIS.  199 

almost  forgotten  present  sorrow  in  pleasing  reminiscences 
of  the  past,  and  all  had  the  attitude  of  men  reposing 
after  the  fatigues  of  the  day.  They  rose  simultaneously  as 
Ambrose  announced  their  guest,  and  the  Superior,  coming 
forward  with  alacrity,  greeted  Meredith  as  a  father  might 
greet  a  son  returned  from  his  wanderings. 

"  Have  you  a  vacant  cell,  good  father  ? "  asked  Meredith, 
"  and  a  place  in  your  fold  for  one  who  is  astray  upon  the 
mountains  ?  " 

"  The  best  that  we  have  is  yours,"  responded  the  Su 
perior,  promptly,  at  the  same  time  heaping  wood  upon  the 
fire,  as  he  observed  the  Englishman's  shivering  condition. 
"  You  have  met  with  disaster ;  you  have  been  in  peril  from 
the  freshet;  you  have  injured  your  arm,"  affirmed  the 
Superior,  gravely,  as  his  eye  ran  over  Meredith's  person. 
"  We  must  undertake  your  cure.  It  is  a  part  of  our  office." 

"  I  place  myself  wholly  in  your  hands,"  answered  Mere 
dith,  "  and  will  begin,  as  in  duty  bound,  by  confession." 

He  then  related,  in  a  few  words,  his  adventures  since 
leaving  the  village.  The  monks  gathered  round,  peeping 
over  each  other's  shoulders,  and  expressing  commiseration, 
especially  at  sight  of  the  wounded  arm,  which  the  Superior 
bared  upon  the  spot.  As  Meredith  finished  his  tale,  and 
stood  silently  looking  on  while  the  Father  examined  the 
sprain,  and  felt  the  already  swollen  and  discolored  flesh,  the 
convent  brethren  dispersed  in  different  directions,  each  on 
the  alert  to  perform  such  hospitable  office  as  belonged  to 
his  peculiar  department.  One  brought  soothing  herbs,  and 
bruised  them  under  the  direction  of  his  chief;  another  has 
tened  to  procure  dry  garments ;  a  third  uncorked  a  bottle 
of  choice  vino  d'oro ;  a  fourth  prepared  a  simple  meal  of 
wheaten  cakes,  dibs,  and  lentils ;  and  ere  an  hour  had 
elapsed  he  found  himself  seated  among  the  venerable  circle, 


200  EL  FUREIDIS. 

clad  in  the  simple  garb  of  their  order,  refreshed  by  convent 
fare,  and,  saving  his  youthful  features,  and  the  arm  that 
hung  in  a  sling,  scarcely  distinguishable  from  the  mem 
bers  of  the  fraternity. 

Less  in  awe  of  their  visitor  than  formerly,  and  encour 
aged  perhaps  by  his  exterior  conformity  with  themselves, 
the  simple  fathers  even  ventured  to  resume  their  discourse. 
The  theme  was  still  lanthe.  Each  had  some  tale  to  tell  of 
her  kindness,  her  forethought,  and  the  wonderful  cures  she 
had  effected ;  and  as  Meredith  listened  to  these  memorial 
tales,  the  outpouring  of  grateful  hearts,  and  called  up  simi 
lar  reminiscences  of  his  own,  he  almost  believed  himself 
one  with  these  ancient  relics  of  humanity,  the  oil  of  whose 
life  was  nearly  spent,  who  dwelt  in  the  annals  of  the 
past,  ignored  all  hopes  of  worldly  advantage,  and  patiently 
awaited  their  end. 

He  felt  that  such  serenity  would  be  cheaply  purchased 
at  the  sacrifice  of  whatever  earthly  aspirations  remained  to 
him ;  and,  for  the  time  at  least,  was  glad  to  feel  the  world 
shut  out,  and  to  dream  a  dream  of  contentment,  sad  indeed, 
but  sure. 


EL  FUREIDIS.  201 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

WE  have  surprised  the  little  Maronite  community  in 
the  enjoyment  of  a  leisure  hour;  but  such  was  far  from 
being  the  usual  tenor  of  their  lives.  Daylight  of  the  next 
morning  found  them  scattered,  and  laboring  in  their  different 
vocations ;  and  when  Meredith  issued  from  his  cell,  the  court 
yard  was  deserted,  and  silence  reigned  throughout  the  mon 
astery.  The  Superior,  it  is  true,  had  lingered  to  inspect 
and  dress  his  guest's  injured  arm,  and  to  serve  the  frugal 
breakfast  which  the  humbler  brethren  had  left  ready  in 
the  refectory ;  but  these  hospitable  duties  completed,  he 
lost  no  time  in  setting  forth  to  the  farm  lands  below  the 
convent,  where  his  aid  was  required  in  sowing  the  vege 
table  garden  which  constituted  the  principal  subsistence 
of  the  household. 

Meredith,  the  only  idler  about  the  place,  could  no  longer 
indulge  the  illusion  which  had  linked  him  as  an  associate 
in  the  fraternal  band.  "With  his  customary  dress  he  had 
resumed  his  customary  sense  of  isolation,  and  was  at  lib 
erty  to  indulge  in  undisturbed  reverie,  with  no  companions 
but  his  own  sad  thoughts. 

These  thoughts,  however,  if  not  less  bitter,  were  some 
what  diverted  by  sympathy  in  the  affliction  which  had 
befallen  the  family  of  M.  Trefoil ;  the  pain  in  his  arm, 
which  had  forbidden  sleep  at  night,  and  could  not  be 
ignored  by  day,  was  a  welcome  antagonist  to  mental  tortur- 
9* 


202  EL  FUREIDIS. 

ings ;  the  unobtrusive  and  paternal  guardianship  of  the 
friars  was  soothing  to  one  who  had  been  so  long  a  wan 
derer  ;  and  his  melancholy,  though  severe  and  settled,  took 
a  more  placid  tone. 

He  even  found  a  vacant  sort  of  contentment  in  watching 
the  monks  at  their  work.  As  day  after  day  wore  monot 
onously  on,  he  came  to  feel  a  mechanical  interest  in  the 
petty  toils  and  plans  of  the  community  in  which  he  lived. 
With  absent-minded  accuracy  he  counted  the  furrows  which 
the  ploughman  accomplished  daily,  the  rows  of  beans 
which  the  Superior  planted,  the  number  of  mulberry- 
trees  which  were  sprouting  in  the  orchard.  The  ringing 
of  the  refectory  and  vesper  bells  divided  and  marked  the 
slow  morning  hour  agreeably,  and  there  was  a  satisfaction 
in  seeing  men  and  animals  resting  after  their  toils. 

But  all  these  things  were  subordinate  to  the  more  en 
grossing  interest  afforded  by  the  vicinity  of  El  Fureidis. 
The  overseeing  of  the  convent  labors  might  well  be  an 
abstract  process ;  for  beyond  the  mountain  gorge  lay  the 
hamlet  to  which  Meredith's  imagination  continually  roved, 
and  concerning  which  he  indulged  in  endless  speculations. 

He  could  not  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  villa,  for  the  bud 
ding  mulberry  orchard  lay  between ;  he  could  not  see  the 
stream  of  factory  people  going  to  and  from  then:  work, 
for  the  call-bell  was  now  silent  and  their  tasks  suspended. 
He  could  not  even  detect  a  familiar  acquaintance  among 
the  peasantry,  for  the  distance  was  too  great  for  the  recog 
nition  of  features,  and  in  costume  there  was  no  variety. 
He  believed  he  could  not  be  mistaken  in  the  form  and 
dress  of  Havilah ;  but  if  so,  she  never  once  came  within 
the  range  of  his  vision. 

Still  she  was  there.  It  was  her  home,  -f-  he  was  near 
to  her.  He  was  satisfied^ 


EL  FUREIDIS.  203 

Was  this  then  the  penance  he  had  prescribed  for  him 
self?  No!  for  Havilah  was  unhappy,  —  she  was  motherless, 
and  so  the  penance  was  annulled. 

Sometimes  his  dreamy  acquiescence  in  his  present  lot 
gave  place  to  an  intense  longing  for  further  tidings  of 
his  afflicted  friends ;  but  this  yearning  was  as  often  coun 
terbalanced  by  the  dread  of  abandoning  his  present  place 
of  concealment.  Under  ordinary  circumstances  he  could 
have  obtained  the  desired  information  through  one  of  the 
brethren,  who  might  have  been  intrusted  on  a  secret  mis 
sion  of  inquiry;  but  the  fording-place  was,  as  we  have 
seen,  impassable,  the  bridge  by  which  Meredith  crossed 
had  been  since  swept  away  by  the  flood,  the  water  was 
rushing  down  the  gorge  with  increasing  violence,  and  all 
communication  between  the  convent  and  the  village  was 
suspended. 

This  latter  circumstance,  however,  presenting  as  it  did  a 
natural  barrier  to  Meredith's  wishes,  proved  also  an  irre 
sistible  incentive  to  his  resolute,  defiant  temperament,  which 
was  always  excited  by  obstacles.  The  roaring  of  the 
water  in  the  gorge  sounded  to  him  like  a  perpetual  chal 
lenge.  It  first  excited  him  to  meditation,  then  to  resolve, 
and  finally  to  action. 

"  The  bridge  must  be  repaired  immediately,"  was  his  im 
pulsive  comment  upon  the  report  that  the  stone  arch  had, 
together  with  the  logs,  been  swept  away  by  the  current. 

"  Impossible,  my  son,  so  long  as  the  freshet  continues," 
was  the  grave  reply  of  the  Superior.  "  I  have  never  seen 
the  stream  so  high  and  strong ;  there  is  no  knowing  to  what 
degree  it  may  rise,  and  nothing  can  resist  its  force." 

"  We  will  see,"  thought  Meredith ;  and  he  immediately 
started  off  to  inspect  the  spot. 

His  survey  confirmed  the  Superior's  opinion.     The  abut- 


204  EL  FUREIDIS. 

ments  of  the  old  bridge  were  dislodged,  and  the  shelving 
banks  afforded  no  facility  for  founding  a  new  structure ;  but 
some  other  point  on  the  stream  might  prove  more  available, 
and,  with  increased  determination  to  renew  the  broken  link, 
he  followed  up  the  abrupt  windings  of  the  current. 

Even  Nature  seems  to  lend  herself  in  aid  of  a  resolute 
will.  At  a  sharp  angle  in  the  gorge  an  immense  boulder 
had  been  swept  from  its  rocky  foundation,  and  precipitated 
into  the  current,  where  it  rested  firmly,  forming  a  wedge 
between  the  intercepted  waters,  which  were  thus  narrowed 
to  such  a  degree  that  a  couple  of  logs  suspended  from  either 
bank  and  supported  by  this  central  pier  would  constitute  a 
tolerable  foot-bridge. 

Meredith's  sagacious  eye  at  once  recognized  these  advan 
tages,  and  one  moment  sufficed  him  for  the  forming  of  his 
scheme  and  preparing  to  put  it  in  execution.  He  could 
be  only  a  director  in  the  work ;  for,  owing  either  to  the 
severity  of  his  recent  injury,  or  the  ignorance  of  his  surgeon, 
the  suffering  in  his  arm  was  almost  intolerable,  and  now, 
at  the  end  of  a  week,  the  limb  was  stiffened  and  useless. 
But  he  had  plenty  of  that  which  will  buy  other  men's 
strength,  and,  the  practicability  of  his  plan  being  made  evi 
dent  to  the  Superior,  the  latter  willingly  overlooked  the 
claims  of  the  convent  farm  in  view  of  the  Englishman's 
gold,  and  men  and  steers  were  at  once  drafted  for  his 
service.  For  two  days  Meredith's  mind  was  engrossed 
in  the  hewing  of  the  logs,  dragging  them  to  the  banks, 
affixing  them  in  the  requisite  position,  and  securing  them 
at  either  extremity. 

His  purpose  was  at  length  accomplished.  What  then? 
Should  he  avail  himself  of  the  fruits  of  his  zeal?  His 
labor  finished,  and  the  means  of  retreat  at  his  command, 
what  was  there  to  prevent  his  crossing  and  paying  a  visit  to 
the  village  ? 


EL  FUREIDIS.  205 

The  opportunity  was  in  itself  a  temptation.  He  surely 
had  not  built  his  bridge  for  nothing.  He  could  not  go  home 
and  rest  satisfied  with  this  trifling  success.  Moreover,  it 
was  nearly  night ;  the  moon  was  at  the  full,  the  sky  clear. 
There  would  be  light  to  guide  him  and  shadows  to  conceal. 
The  impulse  was  altogether  irresistible  ;  and  while  the  half- 
dozen  comparatively  able-bodied  friars  who  had  been  skilful 
and  willing  assistants  in  his  work  gathered  up  their  tools 
and  returned  to  the  convent,  he  cut  a  stout  walking-stick 
from  a  straight-limbed  tree  and  set  off  in  an  opposite  di 
rection. 

Never  since  M.  Trefoil  commenced  his  work  of  improve 
ment  had  El  Fureidis  looked  so  lovely  as  on  this  night. 
Each  terrace  was  a  spring  garden  of  vegetation.  The  rough 
walls  that  sustained  the  gigantic  staircase  of  earth  were 
overgrown  with  moss  or  festooned  with  vines.  The  white 
cottages,  perched  one  above  another,  seemed  to  swing  in  the 
moonlight  that  came  flickering  through  the  trees.  Roughly 
constructed  but  abundant  fountains  were  in  full  play,  and 
foaming  cascades  were  streaming  over  projecting  cliffs,  and 
finding  channels  for  themselves  in  every  hollow.  The  noise 
of  these  busy,  hurrying  waterfalls  would  have  disturbed  a 
stranger ;  but  their  music  was  at  this  season  familiar  to  the 
dwellers  on  the  Lebanon,  and  had  hushed  them  all  to  their 
early  slumbers. 

It  was  scarcely  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening,  and  yet 
Meredith  found  himself  patrolling  the  village  alone.  There 
was  but  little  fear  that  his  solitary  step  would  disturb  the 
sound  sleep  of  this  hard-working  population ;  still  he  trod  the 
rocky  pathway  with  the  cautious,  measured  pace  of  one 
who  fears  to  meet  with  some  unwelcome  interruption.  His 
countenance,  too,  wore  that  expression  of  mysterious  awe 
which  creeps  over  one  who  finds  himself  a  stranger  in  a 


206  EL  FUREIDIS. 

place  which  is  everywhere  invested  with  familiar  associa 
tions. 

His  thoughts  were  with  the  old  man  and  his  child.  He 
was  wondering  (he  had  done  little  but  wonder  thus  for  many 
days)  whether  he  still  looked  so  crushed  and  broken, — 
whether  she  was  still  sustaining  a  double  burden,  and  wear 
ing  that  face  of  constrained  but  heroic  fortitude.  He  longed 
to  approach  the  villa,  —  he  felt  as  if  its  stone  walls  could 
not  hide  what  he  was  so  eager  to  know,  as  if  there  would 
be  something  in  its  very  aspect  which  would  whisper  an 
answer  to  his  heart. 

Still  there  was  something  which  held  him  back,  —  a  cer 
tain  shrinking  within  himself,  —  a  certain  sense  of  banish 
ment  and  repulsion,  which  made  the  precincts  of  Havilah's 
home  seem  to  him  like  forbidden  ground.  So  he  went 
wandering  round  the  village,  perambulating  the  successive 
terraces,  climbing  up  to  Ayn  el  Bered,  peering  into  the  deep 
grotto  just  beneath  the  Falcon  Perch,  then  descending  to  the 
foot  of  the  valley,  and  meditating  awhile  outside  the  door  of 
Father  Lapierre's  cottage.  He  met  with  no  human  obstacle, 
yet  he  was  continually  interrupted.  One  element  in  nature 
appeared  to  be  running  riot,  and  he  encountered  it  at  every 
step.  Whichever  way  he  turned,  he  found  his  passage 
opposed  by  some  freshly-gushing  spring,  some  intrusive 
water-spout,  some  overflowing  conduit  or  fountain.  It 
was  impossible  to  escape  a  wet  foot,  so  many  little  cur 
rents  crossed  the  path;  equally  impossible  to  preserve  a 
dry  head,  so  many  rocks  and  cottage  roofs  were  drip 
ping  with  moisture.  There  was  water  here,  water  there, 
water  everywhere.  One  could  almost  believe  that  the 
white  moonlight  had  melted  into  rain,  and  was  flooding 
the  earth. 

Meredith  could  not  be  unobservant  of  the  mimic  deluge. 


EL  FUREIDIS.  207 

Now  and  then  a  slight  exclamation  escaped  him,  as  his  foot 
sank  in  some  natural  water-trough ;  nor,  as  he  heard  the 
earth  gurgling  at  every  pore,  could  he  help  asking  himself 
whether,  when  the  soil  had  drunk  its  fill,  it  might  not  be 
swallowed  up  in  its  turn,  and  the  village  swept  down  the 
mountain-side  like  lava. 

"They  know  best,  however,"  thought  he,  as  he  looked 
down  upon  a  group  of  sleepers  on  one  of  the  flat  house 
tops. 

"  Happy,  tired  fellows  !  Mother  Nature  soothes  them 
with  dreams  of  plentiful  harvests,  while  she  herself  is  busy 
watering  their  gardens.  Why  should  I  brood  over  them 
like  a  spirit  of  evil,  prognosticating  mischief?"  and  he 
walked  away. 

He  approached  the  bridge  that  connected  the  village 
with  the  factory-grounds  and  dwelling  of  M.  Trefoil.  He 
was  proceeding  to  cross  it,  when,  looking  up  the  stream,  he 
observed  a  circumstance  which  surprised  him.  Both  the 
factory  and  the  olive-mill,  a  little  lower  down,  were  de 
pendent  upon  the  force  of  a  natural  fall,  which  leaped  over 
a  projecting  cliff  a  few  rods  above  the  bridge,  and  which 
had  its  source  in  such  an  unfailing  spring  that  it  was  sel 
dom  dry  even  at  midsummer.  Now,  therefore,  one  might 
have  expected  to  find  it  swollen  into  a  cataract  of  sufficient 
volume  to  startle  the  ear  by  its  roar.  On  the  contrary,  it 
was  silent ;  the  face  of  the  cliff  loomed  gloomily  up,  un 
touched  by  the  moonlight,  which  shone  brightly  elsewhere, 
and  its  bare  surface  blackened,  not  only  by  the  depth  of 
shadow,  but  by  a  scanty  sprinkling  of  water,  which  made 
its  way  over  the  edge  noiselessly,  as  if  escaping  from  a 
leak. 

"  Strange  ! "  thought  Meredith,  "  that,  when  every  other 
water-course  is  overflowing,  this  should  be  dry ; "  and,  di- 


208  EL  FUEEIDIS. 

verted  from  his  original  purpose,  he  climbed  the  cliff  to 
discover  some  clew  to  the  mystery. 

An  explanation  presented  itself  in  the  form  of  a  clumsy 
wooden  waste-gate,  used  for  regulating  the  force  of  the  fall, 
and  shutting  off  the  water  at  all  times,  except  when  required 
for  manufacturing  purposes.  This  barricade,  always  avail 
able  for  economy  of  power,  had  been  called  into  constant 
use  during  the  introduction  of  steam-engines  into  the  fac 
tory  of  M.  Trefoil,  —  an  operation  which  involved  the 
necessity  of  having  the  mill-stream  under  control. 

The  last  charge  which  M.  Trefoil  had  given  to  his  fore 
man  was  to  close  the  gate  and  keep  it  shut  until  further 
orders.  As,  owing  to  the  pressure  of  domestic  calamity, 
the  master's  superintendence  had  since  been  wanting  at 
the  factory,  his  final  direction  continued  in  full  force ;  and 
thus  it  happened  that  the  stream  was  prevented  from  es 
caping  through  its  natural  channel. 

"An  excellent  agent,  no  doubt,"  thought  Meredith,  as 
he  observed  how  ineffectually  the  deep,  pent-up  waters 
chafed  against  their  barrier ;  "  but  it  seems  a  pity  it  should 
be  put  in  operation  at  a  time  when  the  superfluous  floods 
are  everywhere  demanding  vent." 

This  opinion  was  still  further  strengthened,  as  he  paced 
along  the  margin  of  a  broad,  deep  reservoir,  just  above  the 
dam  of  the  fall,  and  observed  the  condition  of  the  basin, 
which  was  formed  partly  by  a  natural  hollow  in  the  moun 
tain  cleft,  partly  by  clumsy  barriers  of  masonry.  At  some 
points  the  reservoir  was  already  overflowing,  and  sending 
its  waters  in  deep  gullies  down  the  mountain-side  ;  at 
others,  its  defences  were  evidently  weak,  and  incapable  of 
long  resisting  the  unusual  pressure  caused  by  the  freshet. 
Meredith  had  often  shaken  his  wise  English  head  as  he 
observed  the  imperfect  masonry  which  constituted  the  arti- 


EL  FUREIDIS.  209 

ficial  portion  of  this  barricade.  He  recollected  having 
introduced  his  cane  into  wide  interstices  in*  its  stone-work, 
having  marked  a  spot  where  the  ill-made  bricks  of  which  it 
was  partially  built  had  crumbled  and  mouldered  away,  and 
having  congratulated  M.  Trefoil  that  it  never  contained 
more  than  a  foot  of  water,  its  lower  foundations  being  all 
that  were  in  any  degree  secure. 

"  Are  these  people  mad  ?  "  thought  he,  as  he  marked  the 
huge  body  of  water,  and  fancied  that  he  saw  the  reservoir 
already  yielding  to  the  pressure.  "They  might  as  well 
make  their  bed  on  the  ocean's  edge  when  the  tide  is  com 
ing  in,  as  go  to  sleep  and  leave  this  old  murderous  giant 
here,  with  his  mouth  open  to  devour  them ! "  he  mentally 
exclaimed,  as,  stooping  down  to  examine  a  well-remembered 
fracture  in  the  stone-work,  he  found  a  steady  stream  gur 
gling  from  the  spot,  and  drenching  the  ground  at  his  feet. 

He  looked  around  him  to  calculate  the  consequences  of 
the  probable  catastrophe.  They  seemed  to  him  fearful,  but 
he  had  a  natural  dread  of  attaching  importance  to  risks 
which  those  more  immediately  concerned  seemed  to  estimate 
but  lightly,  and,  resolving  to  await  some  further  emergency 
before  sharing  his  alarm  with  any  one,  he  made  a  careful 
circuit  of  the  reservoir  and  its  immediate  premises. 

"It  may  stand  through  the  night,"  said  he  to  himself. 
"  It  would  be  a  pity  to  arouse  the  villagers,  for  what  could 
they  do,  after  all  ?  If  that  waste-gate  could  be  opened  now, 
it  would  drain  the  basin  in  less  than  an  hour.  If  it  were  not 
for  endangering  the  works  at  the  factory,  I  should  be 
tempted  to  lift  it  myself.  How  strange  in  M.  Trefoil  — 
how  stupid  in  Asaad  —  not  to  foresee  this  mischief!  " 

He  had  nearly  retraced  his  steps  to  the  edge  of  the  cliff 
over  which  he  longed  to  see  the  water  once  more  pouring, 
when  he  was  startled  by  a  harsh,  rumbling  sound,  and  a 

N 


210  EL  FUREIDIS. 

vibration  of  the  earth  beneath  him.  For  a  moment  he 
became  giddy,  his  feet  tottered,  and  he  was  compelled  to 
grasp  at  the  first  support  which  offered  itself.  Then,  as  the 
ground  which  had  reeled  and  staggered  like  a  drunken  man, 
stood  still,  he  also  recovered  himself  and  stood  still  too ;  but 
for  one  instant  only.  As  if  fired  by  an  impulse  or  a  sudden 
fear,  he  bounded  forward  like  one  rushing  to  a  rescue.  A 
passing  glance  at  the  feeble  walls  of  the  reservoir  served  to 
convince  him  that  they  still  maintained  their  position  in 
spite  of  the  shock ;  then,  without  bestowing  a  look  on  any 
other  quarter,  to  observe  the  effects  of  the  earthquake,  he 
diverged  to  the  left  of  the  stream,  and  made  unhesitatingly 
for  the  villa.  It  was  but  to  run  a  few  rods,  leap  down  a 
single  terrace,  gain  the  house-top  of  M.  Trefoil,  the  rear  end 
of  the  roof  so  resting  upon  the  hill-side  as  to  render  this  the 
easiest  approach  from  above.  Even  at  this  critical  moment 
Meredith  had  sufficient  presence  of  mind  to  realize  that  he 
should  but  add  to  the  alarm  of  the  household,  if  he  made  his 
appearance  through  the  roof;  so,  avoiding  the  staircase,  he 
swung  himself  down  by  the  aid  of  the  trellis-work  which  ran 
around  the  veranda,  and  thus  alighted  on  the  upper  terrace 
of  the  garden. 

He  sprang  up  the  steps  more  hastily  than  ever  before,  — 
entered  the  saloon  more  precipitately.  It  was  no  time  for 
hesitation  or  apologies.  At  the  same  moment,  as  if  she  had 
been  running  to  greet  him,  Havilah  came  quickly  from  an 
inner  room,  and  they  met  in  the  centre  of  the  apartment. 
She  held  a  lamp  in  her  hand.  Her  white  burnous  draped 
her  form,  the  hood  of  the  cloak  was  drawn  over  her  head  ; 
her  face  was  very  pale ;  in  the  dim  light  her  figure  looked 
shadowy  and  ghost-like.  The  recognition  between  herself 
and  Meredith  was  instantaneous  and  mutual,  but  embarrass 
ment  had  no  place  in  the  manner  of  either.  Surprised 


EL  FUEEIDIS.  211 

Havilah  well  might  be,  for  she  had  received  no  intimation 
that  he  was  in  the  neighborhood ;  but  the  question,  "  How 
came  you  here  ?  "  was  but  one  among  the  many  eager  ques 
tions  which  shone  in  her  eyes,  and  which  were  all  expressed 
in  the  quick-breathed  words,  "  What  is  it  ?  tell  me ! " 

She  held  out  her  hand,  but  it  was  in  emphasis  rather 
than  in  welcome.  He  grasped  it  in  his,  but  the  grasp 
seemed  merely  intended  to  give  weight  to  the  hasty  reply, 
"  A  land  shock,  —  I  fear  another.  The  reservoir  is  giv 
ing  way,  —  the  people  are  in  danger ;  and  the  factories  — 
Your  father,  Havilah?" 

"  0  my  poor  father  !  —  he  is  in  such  trouble  ! " 

"  I  know,"  said  Meredith,  "  I  know,"  —  the  first  "I 
know  "  a  mere  affirmation,  —  the  second,  a  volume  of  ten 
der  sympathy. 

"I  am  afraid  you  cannot  rouse  him.  Can  I  do  any 
thing?"  she  said,  with  a  brave  look  on  her  face,  which 
seemed  to  promise  that  she  would  do  what  she  could. 

"  Yes,  much,  if  you  can  only  get  his  orders  for  me. 
Where  is  he?" 

"  Here,"  and  she  opened  the  door  into  the  inner  room,  — 
the  winter  room,  which  used  to  be  lanthe's. 

M.  Trefoil  was  sitting  on  the  couch  where  she  used  to  sit, 
and  looking  straight  before  him  into  vacancy.  His  elbows 
rested  on  his  knees,  his  hands  supported  his  chin.  He 
betrayed  no  emotion  whatever  at  sight  of  Meredith ;  but  as 
the  latter  approached,  and,  seeing  his  condition,  stood  look 
ing  at  him  with  dumb  pity,  the  widowed  man  moved  his 
eyes  slowly  around  the  room  as  if  seeking  something, 
then  fixed  them  on  his  late  guest,  and  said,  just  above  a 
whisper,  "  She  's  gone  !  " 

Meredith  had  no  word  to  utter  in  reply.  He  stood  ap 
palled  in  view  of  the  present  calamity,  and  almost  forgot 


212  EL  FUREIDIS. 

that  other  misfortune  of  which  he  was  merely  apprehen 
sive. 

«  I  loved  her  !  I  loved  her  !  "  continued  poor  M.  Trefoil, 
speaking  now  to  himself,  and  not  even  looking  at  the  Eng 
lishman  ;  "  O  how  I  loved  her !  —  and  she  's  gone  ! " 

"  Father,"  exclaimed  Havilah,  throwing  herself  on  her 
knees  before  him,  taking  his  hands  and  holding  them  be 
tween  her  own,  "  do  you  see  who  has  come  ?  It  is  Mr. 
Meredith.  Do  you  know  what  brings  him  here  ?  " 

"  Is  he  looking  for  her  ?  "  was  the  mysteriously  whispered 
reply.  "  Have  you  told  him  that  she  is  not  here  ?  " 

"He  did  not  expect  to  see  her.  He  came  to  look  for 
you.  He  wants  you  to  help  him,  —  we  all  want  you. 
There  is  trouble  at  the  factory, — they  need  the  master. 
Let  us  go."  And  she  rose,  pointed  to  the  door,  and  made 
a  hasty  movement  in  that  direction,  striving  to  entice  him 
by  her  example,  as  one  would  entice  a  child. 

"  Trouble  !     What  sort  of  trouble  ?     Is  anybody  dead  ?  " 

"  No,  I  hope  not  dead,  but  in  danger.  Perhaps  we  can 
save  them.  O,  think  of  them !  —  think  of  the  poor  people, 
— my  mother's  poor ! "  and  she  laid  her  hand  upon  his  shoul 
der,  and  looked  him  beseechingly  in  the  face. 

He  answered  her  look  by  a  melancholy  stare,  then 
dropped  his  head  upon  his  hands,  and  broke  forth  in  the 
piteous  cry :  "  Poor  people  !  0  yes,  we  are  all  poor  peo 
ple  ;  she  took  care  of  us  all.  There  is  nobody  to  take  care 
of  us  now.  No  matter  what  happens  now,  —  no  matter,  — 
no  matter !  "  —  and  he  continued  to  whimper  forth  the  last 
words,  until  they  subsided  into  an  indistinct  muttering. 

His  form  was  bowed  down,  his  face  almost  resting  on  his 
knees,  his  whole  attitude  expressive  of  utter  indifference  to 
future  fate  and  fortune.  Havilah  glanced  from  him  to  Mer 
edith,  and  shook  her  head  despairingly.  "  It  is  of  no  use," 
she  signified  by  an  inarticulate  motion  of  her  lips. 


EL  FUREIDIS.  213 

"  Has  he  been  so  ever  since  —  ? "  whispered  Meredith, 
leaving  his  question  unfinished  ;  for  he  saw  that  Havilah 
understood  his  meaning. 

She  nodded  mournfully  in  the  affirmative,  and,  pointing 
towards  her  father,  indicated  by  a  gesture  her  desire  that 
Meredith  should  himself  undertake  to  rouse  him  from  his 
stupor  of  grief. 

The  young  man  cleared  his  voice,  went  forward,  and  ex 
claimed  with  forced  alacrity :  "  M.  Trefoil,  my  friend,  my 
dear  friend,  do  you  know  me  ?  have  n't  you  a  word  of  wel 
come  for  a  traveller  ?  " 

The  tone  and  question,  striking  fresh  and  clear  upon  the 
torpid  senses  of  M.  Trefoil,  imparted  to  them  momentary 
life  and  vigor.  An  intelligent  look  overspread  his  features, 
memory  asserted  her  power ;  he  suffered  Meredith  to  grasp 
his  hand,  and,  slowly  rising  from  his  chair,  was  about  to 
address  to  him  some  coherent  and  earnest  inquiry,  when 
suddenly  the  floor  keeled  like  a  ship  in  a  heavy  sea ;  there 
was  a  rumbling  sound  like  distant  thunder,  succeeded  by 
the  crash  of  falling  stones,  the  frightened  cry  of  startled 
cattle,  and  the  sudden  whistling  of  the  night-wind.  The 
old  man  tottered,  looked  around  him  like  one  bewildered, 
then  fell  back  into  his  chair,  where  he  was  at  once  encir 
cled  by  the  arms  of  his  daughter,  who,  precipitated  in  that 
direction,  flung  herself  involuntarily  upon  her  father's  neck. 
Meredith,  thrown  completely  off  his  balance,  was  hurled 
violently  against  the  wall,  and  recovered  himself  only  to 
find  his  position  reversed,  and  to  stagger  again  into  the 
centre  of  the  apartment,  as  a  second  undulation  of  the  earth 
caused  the  floor  once  more  to  vibrate.  There  was  an  awful 
pause,  a  solemn  stillness,  —  all  held  their  breath  and  listened ; 
but  the  distant  sounds  died  away,  slighter  pulsations  agi 
tated  the  room  at  intervals  of  some  seconds,  unaccompanied, 


214  EL  FUEEIDIS. 

however,  by  destructive  noises,  and  at  length  the  suspended 
breath  came  freer,  and  each  of  the  three  occupants  of  the 
apartment  looked  around,  as  if  seeking  to  read  in  each 
other's  faces  some  confirmation  of  the  belief  that  the  shock 
had  for  the  present  subsided. 

"  There  is  no  time  to  be  lost ! "  cried  Meredith,  as  the 
conviction  of  present  safety  and  future  insecurity  rushed 
simultaneously  to  his  mind.  "  There  may  not  be  another 
shock,"  he  added,  addressing  himself  to  Havilah,  "  but  the 
terrace  walls  are  all  undermined  by  the  flood,  the  very  hill 
side  may  be  washed  away.  We  must  not  remain  here  a 
moment." 

Havilah  looked  anxiously  at  her  father,  whose  eyes  were 
wandering  inquiringly  from  the  face  of  his  child  to  that  of 
the  Englishman.  "Where  can  we  take  him?"  she  asked 
hastily  of  Meredith. 

"There  is  no  danger  on  the  mountain-top,  if  he  had 
strength  to  climb,"  said  Meredith ;  "  or  in  the  valley,  there 
are  plenty  of  protected  spots.  M.  Lapierre's  cottage,"  he 
exclaimed,  as  by  a  sudden  impulse  of  thought,  —  "  that  is 
the  place  of  all  others  ;  it  is  cut  in  the  very  mountain-side  ; 
nothing  can  shake  it  from  its  foundations.  Once  there,  you 
and  he  are  safe.  But  let  us  be  gone  ! "  —  and,  suiting  the 
action  to  the  word,  he  drew  M.  Trefoil's  arm  determinately 
within  his  and  started  towards  the  door. 

Havilah  caught  up  a  cloak,  threw  it  over  her  father,  and 
followed. 

"  Havilah  !  "  whimpered  he,  looking  back  over  his  shoul 
der,  with  a  fearful,  shuddering  expression,  "  Havilah  !  " 

"  Yes,  dear,  I  am  coming  too,"  she  replied,  making  haste  to 
overtake  and  support  him  on  the  side  opposite  to  Meredith. 

"  Where  are  we  going,  —  where  ?  "  asked  M.  Trefoil 
wildly,  but  suffering  himself  to  be  led  across  the  threshold. 


EL  FUEEIDIS.  215 

"To  Father  Lapierre's  cottage, — that  is  a  safe  place,  you 
know  ;  my  mother  bade  us  go  to  him  for  safety  always." 

"  So  she  did  !  so  she  did  ! "  said  the  old  man  in  a  tone  of 
ready  assent ;  and  memory  thus  furnishing  an  impetus  in 
the  way  he  was  going,  he  shuffled  clumsily  and  weakly,  but 
willingly,  along. 

Not  only  M.  Trefoil's  household,  but  the  entire  village, 
was  by  this  time  aroused.  The  murmur  of  voices  could  be 
distinguished  at  a  distance,  and  the  excitement  and  alarm 
were  becoming  universal.  In  the  very  beginning  of  their 
progress,  the  fugitives  from  the  villa  were  arrested  by  evi 
dences  of  terror  and  destruction.  The  steps  which  led 
from  the  first  to  the  second  terrace  were  fallen  into  a 
ruinous  heap  ;  in  the  garden  below,  the  servants  of  the 
family  were  huddled  together.  They  hailed  their  master 
and  young  mistress  with  loud  cries ;  exclaiming  with  joy 
at  their  safety,  but  mingling  congratulations  with  wailing 
laments  at  present  disaster  and  future  danger. 

"  Here,  Bachmet ;  lend  your  hand  to  help  my  father," 
cried  Havilah,  as  she  and  her  companions  clambered  with 
difficulty  down  the  terrace.  "  Hush,  Geita !  you  must  not 
alarm  your  master,"  she  whispered  in  an  undertone  to  the 
girl,  who  was  attracting  her  mistress's  attention  to  a  corner 
of  the  western  wing  of  the  villa,  which  had  fallen  in.  "  Are 
you  all  safe,  good  Abou?"  she  inquired  of  a  faithful  old 
Syrian  cook  and  steward  ;  and  when  the  old  man  had 
responded,  "  All ! "  she  added,  «  Thank  God !  follow  us  then, 
but  be  quiet." 

They  obeyed  her  in  loving  reverence ;  the  spirit  of  awe 
not  a  little  augmented  among  the  group  by  the  sudden,  and, 
as  it  seemed  to  them,  supernatural  appearance  of  the  Eng 
lishman  upon  the  scene. 

Thus  far  the  disasters  of  the  night  seemed  to  be  confined 


216  EL  FUREIDIS. 

to  the  villa  and  its  environs,  which,  built  upon  broader  and 
less  substantial  terraces  than  those  of  the  ancient  village, 
were  consequently  more  susceptible  to  accident,  both  from 
flood  and  earthquake.  Beyond  the  precincts  of  the  garden, 
all  wore  its  customary  appearance,  save  where  a  sinking  or 
sliding  wall  denoted  the  precarious  nature  of  the  founda 
tions  on  which  life  and  property  depended. 

"  That  reservoir  holds  yet ;  miraculous  ! "  was  the  un 
guarded  exclamation  of  Meredith,  as,  crossing  the  bridge 
below  the  cliff,  he  looked  up  and  beheld  the  bare  rock 
frowning  above.  "  There  may  still  be  time,"  he  murmured 
half  aloud,  and  hurrying  M.  Trefoil  on  at  redoubled  speed. 

Havilah's  eye  followed  Meredith's,  —  so  did  her  mind ; 
she  foresaw  the  nature  of  the  catastrophe  which  he  appre 
hended  ;  her  quick  instinct  taught  her  the  only  remedy. 

"  God  be  praised,  you  are  safe  from  harm ! "  gasped  Mer 
edith,  as  he  pushed  open  the  door  of  Father  Lapierre's 
hermitage,  his  broad  chest  heaving,  not  from  the  physical 
efforts  he  had  made,  but  from  the  deep  emotions  of  thank 
fulness  with  which  he  ushered  the  helpless  old  man  and  his 
child  into  their  place  of  refuge.  "  Now  I  must  find  Asaad," 
he  added  in  an  under  tone  to  Havilah,  as  she  passed  him  on 
the  threshold.  "  Does  he  still  occupy  the  cottage  below  the 
mulberry  orchard?"  He  waited  but  an  answering  nod  in 
reply,  and  was  gone. 

The  cottage  was  empty.  The  shepherd  was  not  likely  to 
be  asleep  at  his  post  when  danger  awaited  his  flock.  The 
atmosphere  was  comfortable,  however.  There  was  a  fire 
smouldering  on  the  hearth  ;  the  iron  lamp  was  trimmed  and 
burning  in  its  niche :  it  was  evident  that  the  place  had  been 
but  recently  forsaken.  M.  Trefoil  looked  from  floor  to  ceil 
ing,  glanced  curiously  at  various  objects  as  if  they  excited  in 
his  mind  some  dim  association  with  the  past ;  then,  relapsing 


EL  FUREIDIS.  217 

into  the  half-bewildered  stupor  which  had  become  habitual 
with  him,  he  sunk  upon  a  corner  of  the  divan,  suffered  his 
head  to  drop  upon  his  hands,  and  resumed  his  vacant,  in 
different  expression  of  countenance. 

Havilah  bestowed  on  him  a  look  of  tender  pity.  In  his 
very  immobility,  nevertheless,  she  found  encouragement  and 
assurance  for  the  present  emergency.  She  drew  his  cloak 
closely  about  him,  and  imprinted  a  hasty  kiss  on  his  passive 
features.  Little  Geita  stood,  meanwhile,  looking  on,  and 
Ayib,  who  had  followed  close  upon  his  mistress's  track,  had 
nestled,  in  what  was  now  his  customary  place,  at  her  father's 
feet.  "  Sit  here,  Geita,"  signified  Havilah  to  the  Turkish 
girl,  pointing  to  a  place  on  the  divan.  "  Do  not  stir  from 
his  side.  Good  Abou,  you  will  guard  the  door.  Until  I 
come  back,  whenever  that  may  be,  remember,  Abou,  you 
must  take  care  of  my  father."  She  pressed  her  slight  figure 
against  the  door ;  it  turned  on  its  pivot,  and  she  glided  out 
into  the  moonlight. 


10 


218  EL 


CHAPTER    XX. 

EL  FUREIDIS  was  now  a  scene  of  confusion  and  dismay. 
An  indistinct  murmur  of  fear  and  lamentation  went  up 
from  the  mountain-side.  But  there  was  no  huddling  to 
gether  in  crowds,  no  universal  watchword  of  alarm,  no 
crying  upon  one  another  for  help.  Each  peasant  was 
engaged  heart  and  hand  for  the  salvation  of  his  own  little 
household  and  domain.  The  earthquake  had  subsided, 
but  still  the  work  of  destruction  went  on. 

The  great  law  of  cohesion  seemed  to  have  been  sub 
verted,  and  matter  to  have  been  suddenly  set  adrift.  Here 
a  clay  roof  had  parted  at  one  extremity,  and  a  stream 
of  mud  and  water  was  pouring  in ;  there  a  terrace-wall 
had  fallen,  gardens  of  vegetation  had  been  driven  down 
the  slope,  and  were  heaped  in  the  form  of  rubbish  upon 
the  lower  court-yards  and  house-tops.  In  one  or  two  in 
stances,  stone  dwellings  had  been  precipitated  upon  those 
below,  and  the  occupants  had  barely  escaped  with  their 
lives.  For  the  most  part  loose  soil  only  was  swept  from 
its  place,  and  the  houses  stood  firm  upon  their  foundations ; 
but  the  undermining  process  was  going  on  insidiously,  and 
the  unhappy  villagers  were  distracted  between  the  con 
tending  claims  of  person  and  property,  —  all  knowing  that 
life  and  limb  were  at  stake,  —  none  willing  to  sacrifice 
the  chance  of  still  propping  up  their  roofs  and  walls,  and 
saving  some  portion  at  least  of  their  worldly  goods. 


EL  FUREIDIS.  219 

"  Each  man  for  himself,"  was  the  necessary  motto,  where 
all  were  victims  of  a  common  disaster.  It  was  an  excep 
tion  to  the  general  rule,  then,  that  two  individuals  should 
be  seen  at  this  crisis  hastening  in  one  direction.  The 
taller  and  manlier  of  the  two  ran  at  full  speed,  —  now 
and  then  looking  back,  and  in  breathless  tones  uttering 
some  word  to  the  other,  who  followed  with  a  rapidity 
which  sprang  from  respect  to  authority  rather  than  any 
voluntary  impulse. 

"  I  tell  you,  Asaad,"  exclaimed  the  former, "  your  mas 
ter  is  incapable  of  giving  any  orders.  You  are  a  man 
of  reason,  are  you  not  ?  " 

"I  trust  so,  Howadji,  for  it  is  reason  which  tells  me, 
that  to  open  the  sluice-ways  is  to  let  the  lion  in  upon 
the  prey.  I  cannot  expose  my  master's  property." 

"  And  so  you  will  suffer  the  water  to  run  mad,  you 
will  see  the  village  swept  to  destruction,  rather  than  take 
a  bold  step  and  save  it  ?  What  a  dastard  you  are,  man ! 
I  tell  you,  the  blood  of  these  people  will  be  on  your 
head." 

"  But  the  factory !  the  factory ! "  persisted  Asaad,  stop 
ping  short,  and  wringing  his  hands ;  for  he  saw  determination 
in  the  Englishman's  face,  and  fear  and  irresolution  were  con 
tending  in  his  soul.  "  We  all  depend  on  the  factory  for 
our  daily  bread." 

"  Depend  on  the  factory !  pshaw ! "  cried  Meredith,  an 
grily  ;  "  every  one  depends  on  himself,  —  or  ought  to  ! 
Besides,  dead  men  eat  no  bread ;  and  on  my  soul,  I  be 
lieve  there  is  but  one  chance  for  life  here  to-night. 
Be  a  man,  Asaad,  and  do  the  work  of  a  man,  for  by 
Heaven  —  " 

He  stopped  short,  foot  and  tongue  at  the  same  in 
stant  arrested,  eye  and  ear  strained,  and  his  heart  spell- 


220  EL  FUREIDIS. 

bound.  "  By  Heaven,"  he  added,  after  an  instant's  pause, 
and  speaking  now  in  a  tone  of  mingled  horror,  triumph, 
and  reproach,  "  a  woman  has  done  it  for  you ! " 

As  soldiers  rushing  to  a  conflict  would  feel  themselves 
impotent  and  overawed,  should  they  behold  an  angel  fight 
ing  in  the  van  of  their  army,  so  these  two  men  stood  trem 
bling  and  aghast  at  the  scene  which  presented  itself  to  their 
upturned  gaze. 

Like  a  wild  beast  loosened  from  long  confinement,  the 
unchained  waters  were  dashing  over  the  fall  and  hurrying 
down  the  channel,  while  upright,  amid  the  rush,  the  roar, 
and  the  spray,  stood  one  clothed  all  in  white,  who  might 
have  been  deemed  a  vaporous  water-spirit,  sent  thither  to 
allay  the  flood.  Her  garments  were  fluttering  over  the 
verge  of  the  fall,  her  foot  seemed  to  rest  on  the  gliding 
torrent,  her  form  was  showered  by  the  foam.  The  golden 
moonlight  glorified  her,  imagination  lent  her  wings,  —  yet 
she  was  a  mortal  thing,  endued  with  immortal  powers  only 
as  matter  yields  to  mind  when  the  spirit  is  in  the  ascendant. 

Her  slight  arm  might,  otherwise,  have  sought  in  vain  to 
stir  the  massive  bar  and  to  raise  the  ponderous  lever ;  but 
God  and  a  great  motive  gave  her  strength,  and  she  had 
done  the  work  of  a  man  and  a  deliverer. 

It  was  a  moment  of  awful  and  intense  excitement.  She 
had  opened  the  only  safety-valve  ;  danger  was  finding  vent 
through  its  natural  channel ;  yet  the  relief  was  but  partial 
and  gradual,  the  crisis  pressing  and  imminent. 

Havilah  stood  for  a  moment  watching  the  result  of  her 
resolute  and  courageous  act.  "  It  is  pouring  out  fast,"  was 
her  triumphant  thought,  as  she  saw  the  tide  rush  beneath 
her  feet.  "  Will  it  prove  a  salvation  ?  God  knows ! "  and 
she  lifted  her  face  upward  in  devout  appeal ;  then,  becom 
ing  conscious  of  her  own  perilous  position,  she  turned  slowly 


EL  FUREIDIS.  221 

round  to  retrace  her  steps  to  the  bank  of  the  water-course. 
It  required  a  steady  eye  and  foot  to  tread  the  narrow  beam, 
which  was  the  connecting  link  between  herself  and  the  mar 
gin  of  the  stream.  She  had  stepped  out  upon  the  solitary 
timber,  without  a  shudder,  when  hastening  to  lift  the  bolt  at 
the  extremity,  just  above  the  fall ;  but  the  pent-up  waters 
were  comparatively  quiet  then,  now  the  beam  was  resting 
above  the  surface  of  a  tumultuous  flood,  and  the  bewilder 
ing  roar  caused  her  heart  to  quail  a  little,  as,  putting  one 
foot  carefully  before  the  other,  she  swayed  her  light  form, 
and  endeavored  to  preserve  her  balance. 

The  first  step  gave  her  confidence,  however ;  she  looked 
away  from  the  fall,  kept  her  eye  on  the  shore,  and  in  a  mo 
ment  more  would  have  set  foot  on  the  bank,  when  suddenly 
the  stone  abutment  to  which  the  beam  was  riveted,  and 
which  had  been  already  insidiously  undermined,  gave  way 
beneath  the  pressure  of  the  flood.  Rock,  earth,  and  ma 
sonry  were  upheaved,  the  pier  tottered,  reeled,  then  shiv 
ered  into  fragments,  and  the  shore-end  of  Havilah's  frail 
support  was  left  at  the  mercy  of  the  current.  As  the  iron 
clamps  which  had  been  affixed  to  the  masonry  parted 
with  a  shock,  the  extremity  of  the  beam  tilted  up  and 
rocked  so  fearfully,  that  the  figure  of  its  dizzy  occupant 
was  swayed  to  and  fro  like  a  willow  twig  tossed  in  the 
breeze.  Still  she  maintained  her  footing  in  the  very  cen 
tre  of  the  timber ;  she  might  even  have  made  a  few  light 
bounds  and  sprung  from  the  raised  end  to  the  shore ;  but 
before  she  could  poise  herself  for  the  effort,  or  discern  a 
secure  resting-place  amid  the  wreck  that  strewed  the  bank, 
the  beam  touched  the  surface  of  the  torrent,  and,  whirled 
by  the  force  of  the  rushing  tide,  was  drifted  out  at  such  an 
angle  as  to  bring  its  extremity  to  the  very  verge  of  the  fall, 
and  place  a  fearful  abyss  between  Havilah  and  the  shore. 


222  EL  FUREIDIS. 

The  opposite  extremity  had  hitherto  been  riveted  to  the 
waste-gate ;  but  the  violent  impetus,  which  swept  the  tim 
ber  into  its  oblique  position  across  the  current,  had  the 
effect  of  instantly  wrenching  it  from  its  remaining  fasten 
ings,  thus  setting  the  frail  bark,  with  its  solitary  voyager,  at 
the  mercy  of  the  cruel  element.  Destruction  seemed  gap 
ing  for  its  prey ;  but  there  was  yet  one  more  obstacle  to  the 
timber's  fatal  leap,  in  the  shape  of  a  jutting  point  of  rock, 
which,  rearing  itself  in  the  rapids  just  above  the  fall,  caught 
the  beam  in  its  progress,  and  held  it  for  an  instant  sus 
pended  at  right  angles  with  the  stream. 

It  was  but  a  momentary  salvation,  a  mere  balancing 
between  life  and  death.  Havilah  stood  erect,  scarce  con 
scious  of  her  awful  peril,  but  Avith  a  figure  stiffened  into 
rigidity  by  the  instinctive  impulse  to  resist  the  force  which 
thus  far  had  carried  her  helpless  along.  There  seemed 
not  a  possible  chance  for  her  rescue ;  but  love  that  is 
stronger  than  death'  was  ready  to  challenge  fate,  and  the 
critical  moment  had  come. 

With  a  vague  sense  of  apprehension  and  terror,  Meredith 
had  scaled  the  bank  opposite  to  that  from  which  Havilah 
had  come  out  upon  the  stream.  Startled  by  the  crash 
of  the  falling  abutment,  he  had  breathlessly  mounted  the 
waste-gate  and  gained  its  terminating  point  above  the  fall 
just  in  time  to  see  the  hoped-for  communication  cut  off, 
and  the  pale  victim  whom  he  had  sprung  to  save  whirled 
round,  equidistant  from  himself  and  the  shore.  It  was  a 
fearful  crisis,  but  no  time  for  hesitancy  or  doubt.  Now, 
then,  young  athlete  of  the  school  and  the  university,  now 
for  a  trial  in  which  there  is  no  competitor !  Eight  feet 
between  yourself  and  the  floating  beam,  as  many  more  to 
gain  the  shore,  and  a  besom  of  wrath  sweeping  down  on 
either  side !  An  instant,  and  the  deed  is  done.  It  was 


EL  FUREIDIS.  223 

safety  or  death  for  both,  and  by  God's  grace,  safety.  With 
one  bound  Meredith  vaulted  upon  the  timber,  which  reeled 
beneath  his  weight.  The  shock  would  have  tossed  Havilah 
like  a  feather  to  the  wave,  but  an  iron  arm  was  round  her 
waist.  That  grasp  gave  electrical  force  to  her  rescuer,  the 
impetus  afforded  by  one  successful  effort  lent  him  power  for 
a  second  desperate  leap ;  the  deserted  timber  floated  over 
the  precipice,  the  Englishman  and  the  girl  stood  in  safety 
on  the  shore. 

It  was  all  the  work  of  a  moment,  —  one  of  those  wild, 
incomprehensible  moments,  which  one  passes  through  un 
consciously  at  the  time,  but  remembers  with  a  shudder  in 
after  years. 

Havilah  turned  and  looked  up  over  her  shoulder  at  Mer 
edith,  who  had  not  yet  released  her  from  his  hold,  looked 
inquiringly,  as  one  might  look  who,  miraculously  preserved 
in  time  of  peril,  questions  whether  it  be  through  the  media 
tion  of  man  or  angel.  She  saw,  but  did  not  thank  him,  did 
not  utter  a  word ;  there  was  not  time.  He  had  saved  her 
life  ;  but  what  was  one  life  where  so  many  were  at  stake  ? 
what  but  the  opportunity  for  further  action  ?  Before  he 
could  stay  her,  or  question  her  motives,  she  was  once  more 
beyond  his  reach  ;  she  had  slid  from  his  arm  like  a  wreath 
of  mist,  and  had  darted  down  the  cliff.  Silently,  like  a 
spirit,  she  sped  to  her  work ;  but  as  Meredith's  startled 
senses  realized  the  direction  she  had  taken,  he  could  not 
refrain  from  an  utterance  of  despair,  and  the  air  rang  with 
"  the  cry  of  a  strong  man  in  his  agony." 

It  needed  but  a  glance  to  reveal  the  fact  that  she  had 
been  saved  from  one  danger  only  to  expose  herself  to 
another  equally  hideous  and  alarming.  Asaad  had  proph 
esied  truly.  The  factory  buildings  could  not  resist  the 
force  of  the  flood ;  the  crash  of  falling  timbers  and  stones 


224  EL  FUEEIDIS. 

could  already  be  distinctly  heard ;  one  foundation  prop  after 
another  was  giving  way ;  the  tall  bell-tower  had  taken  an 
oblique  inclination,  and  was  tottering  to  its  fall ;  the  whole 
structure  must  soon  be  a  ruinous  heap,  and  yet  Havilah 
had  darted  into  its  midst. 

Meredith  followed.  In  his  one  moment  of  uncertainty 
and  horror  he  had  suffered  her  to  gain  the  start  of  him,  and 
she  was  almost  out  of  sight.  Her  white  cloak  fluttering  in 
the  wind,  served,  however,  as  a  signal  to  guide  him.  Now 
it  floated  round  the  corner  of  the  factory,  then  emerged  at 
the  opposite  angle ;  the  shadow  of  the  bell-tower  obscured  it 
for  a  moment,  it  came  out  again  on  the  little  foot-bridge  that 
crossed  the  stream ;  here  a  massive  boulder  on  the  farther 
bank  bid  it  altogether  from  view,  and  when  at  length  Mere 
dith  gained  the  summit  of  the  great  rock,  and  looked  about 
him,  the  white  signal  was  altogether  wanting,  —  providen 
tially  wanting,  for  now  the  Englishman  paused,  awaiting  its 
reappearance,  and  that  pause  saved  him  from  a  living  burial. 
The  piers  which  sustained  the  factory-tower  at  the  same 
instant  gave  way,  and  the  tall  column  fell  with  a  fearful 
crash.  The  stream  was  narrowed  just  opposite  the  silk- 
mill  by  the  very  rock  on  which  Meredith  stood,  and  the 
tower,  taking  a  sidelong  direction,  fell  across  the  flume, 
partially  obstructing  the  current,  and  scattering  a  storm 
of  rock  on  the  opposite  bank.  Meredith's  elevated  posi 
tion  proved  his  security  from  the  heavier  missiles  of  de 
struction;  but  light  fragments  of  brick  and  granite  were 
showered  around  him  like  hail,  and  he  found  himself 
blinded  by  a  thick  cloud  of  dust  and  mortar,  while  his 
ears  were  almost  deafened  by  the  crash  of  masonry  and 
by  the  clattering  of  huge  masses  of  stone,  which,  escaping 
from  the  ruinous  pile,  were  rattling  down  into  the  valley. 
Amid  the  obscure  atmosphere  and  the  tumult  of  sound,  it 


EL  FUREIDIS.  225 

was  difficult  to  discern  the  nature  or  extent  of  the  catas 
trophe  ;  but  in  the  very  midst  of  the  shock  Meredith 
realized  the  fact  that  there  was  safety  where  he  stood, 
destruction  below,  —  there  was  deliverance  for  himself,  but 
where  was  Havilah  ? 

The  air  was  still  thick  with  dust,  the  rocky  avalanche 
still  in  motion,  when  Meredith  rushed  hi  amid  the  chaos. 
His  foot  sunk  in  loose  heaps  of  mortar;  his  very  breath, 
and  the  stirring  of  the  air  as  he  passed,  seemed  to  start 
some  trembling  stone  and  send  it  rumbling  down  the  hill 
side.  He  glanced  anxiously  from  right  to  left,  shuddering 
at  the  thought  of  the  dread  revelation  which  might  be  in 
store  for  him.  The  air  cleared  as  he  went  on  ;  he  had  left 
the  heavier  heaps  of  rubbish  behind  him ;  for  a  few  steps 
the  moon  shone  on  his  path,  and  he  could  see  his  way ; 
then  came  a  space  in  deep  shadow,  and  here,  running  at 
the  top  of  his  speed,  the  young  man  encountered  a  sudden 
obstacle.  This  impediment  to  his  progress  presented  itself 
in  the  form  of  a  man,  who,  stationed  just  outside  the  old 
olive-mill,  had  been  beating  his  breast,  uttering  loud  cries 
and  lamentations,  and  calling  upon  Heaven  for  help. 

"  Who  are  you  ?  what  is  the  matter  ?  "  cried  Meredith, 
as  he  assisted  in  raising  the  individual  whom  he  had 
thrown  down  and  stumbled  over  in  the  impetuosity  of  his 
onset.  "  Have  you  seen  the  master's  daughter  ?  Has  Havi 
lah  passed  this  way  ?  "  he  hastily  continued,  as  he  set  the 
poor  man  upon  his  feet. 

"  Good  God !  it  is  the  Howadji,"  exclaimed  the  man  in 
the  whining  tones  which  Meredith  at  once  recognized  as 
those  of  the  old  miller.  "  0  sir !  sir !  we  are  accursed  of 
the  Lord ;  the  mountains  are  falling  upon  us,  and  the  hills 
covering  us.  Help  us !  for  the  love  of  Heaven,  help  us ! " 

"  The  master's  daughter,  man !  "  cried  Meredith,  with  an 
10*  o 


226  EL  FUREIDIS. 

eagerness  that  was  almost  fierce,  —  "  Lave  you  seen  her,  I 
say  ?  " 

"  Have  I  seen  her,  the  pretty  saint  ?  Yes  !  yes !  How- 
adji !  She  went  by  me  like  a  falling  star.  But  she  will  not 
come  back.  The  rose  will  be  crushed,  and  my  rose-buds  too, 
—  my  beautiful  ones  all  asleep  on  their  pillow.  O  sir !  could 
not  you  save  them?  You  are  a  young  man;  you  are 
strong.  Listen  to  an  old  man's  prayer ! "  And  he  threw 
himself  on  the  ground,  and  clasped  the  Englishman's  knees. 

Meredith  extricated  himself;  and,  impatient  of  this 
human  clog,  thrust  him  aside,  exclaiming  emphatically, 
"Which  way?  Answer  me  that,  and  no  more,  —  which 
way?" 

"  0  there !  —  there  ! "  ejaculated  the  miller,  pointing  to 
his  owngsottage,  a  few  rods  lower  down,  overshadowed  by 
the  ancient  mill,  —  "  there,  under  the  fig-tree,  where  my  roof 
has  fallen  in.  Havilah  is  there,  and  my  babes ;  and  the 
stones  have  sunk,  and  the  walls  are  rent,  and  the  house  will 
be  buried  under  the  falling  mill !  It  is  going !  —  ah,  I 
know  it !  —  and  my  sweet  ones  will  find  a  grave  under  the 
roof  that  these  hands  have  raised,  —  and  Havilah  too ! 
And  I  have  sent  that  young  Frank  to  perish  with  them.  May 
the  Lord  forgive  me !  " 

The  old  man  was  soliloquizing,  for  the  Englishman  had 
obeyed  the  first  motion  of  his  informant's  finger,  and  had 
left  him  to  tear  his  hair  alone,  and  pour  out  his  lamentations 
to  the  wind. 

Meredith  approached  the  hut,  fear  whispering  to  him 
that  he  might  find  it  but  a  tomb.  The  rear  end  of  the  little 
rectangular  building  rested  against  the  wall  of  the  terrace, 
which  formed  the  foundation  of  the  mill,  a  perilous  support 
enough,  but  one  which  thus  far  stood  firm.  The  next  ter 
race  below  had  fallen  in,  however,  —  the  cottage  rested  on 
an  inclined  plane,  and  its  roof  was  gaping  wide. 


EL  FUBEIDIS.  227 

"  Havilah !  Havilah ! "  shouted  Meredith,  as  he  drew 
near  the  mouth  of  the  cavity,  which  looked  as  forbidding 
and  black  as  if  it  conducted  to  the  bowels  of  the  earth. 

He  was  answered  by  something  between  a  sigh  and  a 
moan,  and  the  sudden  emerging  of  a  head  through  the  open 
ing.  As  he  caught  sight  of  a  profusion  of  dark  hair  and  a 
fair  young  face,  he  gave  a  cry  of  joy,  and,  believing  he  had 
discovered  the  object  of  his  search,  stretched  out  his  single 
arm,  —  the  arm  which  was  doing  all  his  work  to-night,  for 
the  other  was  powerless.  Thus  aided,  a  little  figure  soon 
soon  appeared  through  the  aperture,  —  the  figure,  not  of 
Havilah,  but  of  one  of  those  beautiful,  rosy  children  born 
among  the  Druse  mountaineers. 

"It  is  Kassim,"  said  a  soft,  juvenile  voice,  as  the  boy 
scrambled  to  his  feet. 

Meredith's  heart  sank  within  him ;  but  at  the  nlxt  breath 
he  caught  the  sound  of  a  still  sweeter  voice  from  below, 
saying,  "  Stand  still  there,  Kassim,  I  will  come  in  one  mo 
ment." 

"  One  moment  ?  come  now,  Havilah  !  "  cried  the  young 
man  in  the  desperation  of  an  intense  anxiety, —  an  anxiety 
which  had  reached  its  climax,  for  he  could  hear  the  creak 
ing  of  the  mill  above  his  head,  and  had  already  seen  one  of 
its  supports  swept  away  by  the  flood. 

There  was  no  answer ;  and,  resting  his  arm  on  one  edge 
of  the  ruptured  roof,  he  sprang  down  the  aperture. 

He  found  himself  in  darkness,  but  groped  his  way  to 
wards  a  feeble  glimmering  of  light,  and,  passing  through  a 
low,  sunken  door-way,  entered  a  little  shed,  the  outer  wall  of 
which  was  rent  from  top  to  bottom,  part  having  fallen  out 
ward  so  as  to  admit  the  moonlight,  the  remainder  forming  a 
heap  of  rubbish  in  one  corner  of  the  apartment.  On  this 
heap  stood  Havilah.  Both  her  arms  were  raised,  and  she 
seemed  vainly  striving  to  lift  some  heavy  weight 


228  EL  FUREIDIS. 

"  Havilah !  dear  chftd !  "  he  shouted,  forgetting  every 
thing  but  his  fears  for  her  safety,  "  what  are  you  doing 
here  ?  For  Heaven's  sake,  come  away  !  " 

"  O  help  me  ! "  she  cried,  at  once  recognizing  his  voice,  — 
"  help  me  !  you  are  just  in  time." 

She  was  striving  to  dislodge  a  rafter  which  had  fallen 
crosswise  against  the  inner  wall  of  the  shed.  He  instantly 
placed  his  broad  shoulder  underneath  the  timber,  and  with 
one  effort  dislodged  it,  revealing  a  stone  niche  in  the  wall, 
in  which  were  cradled  two  sleeping  infants. 

"  They  are  there !  they  are  safe  !  I  was  sure  of  it,"  she 
exclaimed,  in  tones  of  joy  and  thankfulness.  "  I  did  not  let 
the  water  in  to  be  the  death  of  you,  my  darlings  ;  God  be 
praised  !  Hush  !  hush  ! "  she  continued,  in  the  tenderest 
accents,  —  for  Meredith,  in  his  impetuosity,  had  snatched 
one  of  tra  children  from  its  pillow,  and  it  was  shrieking 
violently,  —  "  hush,  darling !  it  is  Havilah." 

At  the  voice,  and  the  sound  of  the  familiar  name,  the 
little  creature  sprang  to  her  outstretched  arms,  nestled  its 
head  in  her  bosom,  and  was  comforted.  Meredith,  taught 
by  experience,  lifted  the  other  child  carefully,  without  wak 
ing  it,  and  he  and  Havilah,  each  with  an  infant  burden  in 
their  arms,  turned  to  depart. 

But  they  were  not  permitted  to  go  as  they  had  come. 
Their  lives  were  destined  to  hang  once  more  in  the  scales 
of  fate.  They  had  passed  through  the  low  door-way,  and 
gained  the  principal,  though  nearly  roofless  apartment  of 
the  dwelling,  Meredith  leading  Havilah  by  the  hand,  when 
the  crisis  came,  and  the  overtopping  mill  fell  headlong. 

Can  one  define  the  sensations  of  him  on  whose  head 
the  thunder-bolt  bursts  ?  Less  easily  can  one  paint  the 
emotions  of  those  who  had  thus  encountered  chaos.  It 
was  all  expressed  in  the  tumultuous  thought,  "  Dead  and 
alive  again !  lost  and  found ! " 


EL  FUREIDIS.  229 

They  stood  braced  against  the  terrace  wall,  rigid  and 
still.  The  child  in  Havilah's  arms  clung  to  her  neck,  con 
vulsed  with  terror ;  Meredith  held  her  hand  as  in  a  vice. 
Ruin  was  heaped  on  ruin  all  around  them,  yet  there  they 
stood  unharmed.  Brave  old  wall !  The  miller's  handiwork 
was  stronger  than  the  miller's  faith  ;  it  had  not  crushed  his 
offspring,  —  it  had  saved  them.  A  fragment  of  the  mill,  a 
huge  sheet  of  rafters  and  plastered  stone,  heavy  enough  to 
have  crushed  a  score  of  men,  had  commenced  sliding  down 
the  terraced  stairway,  had  found  a  resting-place  on  the  cot 
tage  wall,  and,  sloping  thence  to  a  secure  foundation  on  the 
hill-side  below,  formed  a  solid  roof  of  masonry,  beneath 
which,  as  in  a  pent-house,  the  group  of  refugees  had  found 
a  shelter. 

The  light  made  its  way  in  at  the  farther  extremity  of 
this  impromptu  cave.  "  Come  on,"  whispered  Meredith,  as 
the  awful  din  was  succeeded  by  a  stillness  scarcely  less 
solemn  ;  and  he  led  the  way.  Havilah  trod  close  upon 
his  footsteps.  They  climbed  over  mounds  of  rubbish, 
scarcely  venturing  to  breathe  or  look  around  them,  so  great 
was  their  sense  of  the  insecurity  which  attended  every 
motion.  Not  a  stone,  however,  started  from  its  foundation. 
Hand  in  hand  they  silently  groped  their  way,  and  at  length 
issued  through  a  triangular  opening  into  the  moonlight. 
A  moment  more,  and  they  had  passed  beyond  the  line  to 
which  the  devastating  storm  had  extended. 

Havilah  now  turned  back,  and,  as  her  eye  discerned  the 
scene  behind  her,  she  faltered  forth,  "  Poor  Kassim !  "  The 
spot  where  she  had  left  the  boy  was  a  wilderness  of  heaped- 
up  stone. 

"  Perhaps  he  ran  on  and  escaped,"  said  Meredith,  at  the 
same  time  inwardly  shuddering  at  the  almost  certain  con 
viction  that  the  child  was  lost.  "  If  not,  he  is  beyond  help. 


230  EL  FUREIDIS. 

Do  not  turn  back,  Havilah,"  for  he  saw  her  hesitate;  "every 
stone  shall  be  turned.  I  will  see  to  it  myself,  but  you  and 
these  children  must  first  be  cared  for." 

At  this  moment  voices  were  distinctly  heard,  - —  cries  of 
fear,  congratulation,  and  lament  mingled  in  strange  con 
fusion, —  cries  amid  which  joy  became  predominant,  as  a 
little  crowd  of  villagers  appeared  in  sight,  and  at  once 
recognized  Havilah.  The  emotion  of  thanksgiving  was 
mutual,  for  at  the  head  of  the  throng  came  the  miller, 
with  his  little  grandson  Kassim  in  his  arms.  The  boy, 
following  the  warning  of  instinct,  had  made  his  way,  un 
aided,  to  the  guardianship  of  the  old  man,  whose  wailing 
tones  had  served  as  a  call-bell  to  summon  the  little  fellow 
out  of  the  reach  of  danger. 

But  grief  is  stronger  than  joy,  and  must  have  its  way. 
The  shouts  of  congratulation  would  have  been  long  in  sub 
siding,  but  they  were  speedily  drowned  by  the  frenzied 
accents  of  a  woman,  who  rushed  into  the  circle  shrieking 
and  crying  for  help.  It  was  Hendia,  the  young  wife  of 
Asaad,  who,  now  beating  her  breast,  then  tossing  her  arms 
in  the  air,  implored  succor  and  deliverance  for  her  husband, 
who  was  buried  beneath  his  own  roof-tree. 

"  He  is  not  dead,"  she  said,  "  for  he  has  spoken  to  me. 
But  heavy  stones  are  on  his  chest,  his  breath  is  short ;  come 
quickly  Come  and  save  him ! " 

"  Now  then,  my  men  ! "  cried  Meredith,  placing  the  child 
which  he  carried  in  the  arms  of  a  woman  who  stood  near 
him,  "  I  have  gold  for  every  man  who  has  an  arm  to  spare. 
On  to  the  rescue  of  Asaad !  Courage,  Hendia,  he  shall 
soon  stand  up  with  the  best  of  us ! " 

It  was  no  instantaneous  feat,  no  miraculous  work  of  sal 
vation,  which  was  called  for  now.  It  was  patient  and  almost 
hopeless  labor. 


EL  FUEEIDIS.  231 

"  Here !  underneath  this  wall  of  stone !  Impossible  ! "  ex 
claimed  Meredith,  as,  running  in  advance  of  a  ready  gang 
of  followers,  he  stood  beside  Hendia,  at  the  spot  which  she 
indicated  as  that  where  her  husband  lay  entombed. 

"  Yes !  yes,  Howadji !  he  is  there,  I  have  heard  his  voice. 
I  hear  it  now;"  —  and  she  laid  her  ear  to  a  crevice  in  the 
rocks  and  listened. 

Meredith  followed  her  example  ;  apparently  he  was  con 
vinced  and  encouraged,  for,  without  a  word,  he  commenced 
rolling  away  the  stones.  A  half-dozen  men  had  soon  ral 
lied  to  his  aid.  Under  his  direction  they  labored  dili 
gently  and  well,  his  voice  spurring  them  on,  his  single 
arm  serving  as  an  iron  wedge  or  an  elastic  lever,  whdn- 
ever  the  work  pressed  hard.  Havilah,  meanwhile,  en 
deavored  to  soothe  the  wretched  wife,  who  had  thrown 
herself  upon  the  ground  at  a  little  distance,  and  was  sob 
bing  hysterically. 

"  What  shall  I  tell  her  ?  Is  there  any  hope  ? "  said  a 
voice  at  Meredith's  elbow,  when  the  work  had  been  pro 
gressing  long  but  fruitlessly. 

He  looked  round,  saw  Havilah,  and  shook  his  head. 
"  There  is  no  sound  from  below,"  he  answered,  speaking 
low,  lest  he  should  discourage  his  men ;  "  he  has  ceased 
moaning.  Speak  to  him  yourself,"  he  added;  "if  he  is  alive, 
he  will  know  your  voice." 

The  perspiration  was  pouring  down  Meredith's  face. 
"  Drink  this,"  said  Havilah,  placing  a  cup  of  wine  in  his 
hand.  "  I  have  more  here  for  your  men,"  she  continued, 
glancing  at  a  little  jug  in  her  hand,  as  he  looked  compassion 
ately  on  his  fellow-workmen,  and  seemed  to  hesitate.  He 
took  the  cup  and  drank.  She  placed  her  mouth  against  a 
cavity  in  the  rocks. 

"  He  hears  me,"  she  cried  at  length,  springing  to  her 


232  EL  FUREIDIS. 

feet.  "  He  has  spoken  my  name !  See  !  see !  he  is  himself 
trying  to  throw  off  the  load." 

It  was  true.  The  surface  of  the  heap  of  stones  was  evi 
dently  agitated  by  a  force  from  below.  The  little  crowd 
(for  half  the  village  had  by  this  time  collected  at  the  spot) 
responded  to  this  indication  of  life  and  strength  on  the  part 
of  the  sufferer  by  a  round  of  cheers.  The  laborers,  inspired 
by  hope,  and  each  refreshed  by  a  draught  of  wine,  resumed 
their  efforts  with  new  heart.  Five  minutes  more,  and  Asaad 
responded  to  their  words  of  cheer  by  a  succession  of  groans, 
which,  woful  as  they  were,  proved  him  to  be  free  from  the 
risk  of  suffocation. 

"  Now,  my  men,  all  together,  —  one  strong  pull  and  we 
have  done ! "  exclaimed  Meredith,  as,  shovelling  away  a  mass 
of  earth  and  mortar,  he  disclosed  a  flat,  slaty  stone,  against 
whose  weight  Asaad  was  vainly  struggling.  They  pried  up 
one  end  of  the  slab,  heaved  against  it  with  united  force, 
hurled  it  back  with  a  crash,  which  caused  the  by-standers  to 
beat  a  sudden  retreat ;  and  there,  lodged  between  two  simi 
lar  blocks,  lay  Asaad,  crushed  within  the  walls  of  his  prison- 
house. 

It  was  as  if  the  coffin-lid  were  lifted,  but  the  dead  man 
refused  to  rise.  He  lay  still  and  speechless.  Havilah 
leaned  over  him,  and  poured  a  few  drops  of  wine  down  his 
throat.  Hendia  threw  herself  upon  his  bosom  with  frantic 
cries.  "  He  will  revive,"  said  Father  Lapierre,  who  had  this 
instant  reached  the  spot ;  and  kneeling  beside  the  unfortunate 
man,  he  pressed  his  hand  upon  his  heart.  "  Take  him  up 
gently,  my  sons,  and  carry  him  to  the  church ;  I  will  follow 
you,  and  bring  Avith  me  dressing  for  his  wounds.  You  will 
find  I  have  other  sufferers  in  my  hospital ;  but  there  is 
room  for  all." 

"The  hand  of  the  Lord  is  heavy  upon   us  this  night, 


EL  FUEEIDIS.  233 

my  child,"  he  continued,  addressing  Havilah.  "  Ah,  my 
friend ! "  and  with  a  gesture  of  surprise  he  held  out  his  hand 
to  Meredith,  "  you  see  we  have  fallen  upon  evil  days  ;  but 
we  have  much  to  be  thankful  for  yet.  The  danger  is  past. 
It  has  left  the  village  in  ruins  ;  my  people  are  houseless, 
some  of  them  are  hurt ;  but  let  us  thank  God,  he  has  not 
suffered  even  one  of  our  little  ones  to  perish." 

A  company  of  peasants  now  lifted  the  helpless  Asaad 
from  the  ground,  and  moved  off;  a  part  of  the  crowd, 
actuated  either  by  curiosity  or  sympathy,  followed ;  the 
remainder  dispersed  in  different  directions. 

Havilah,  anxious  concerning  her  father,  suffered  M.  La- 
pierre  to  put  her  arm  within  his,  and  conduct  her  to  his 
cottage.  Meredith  was  about  to  take  the  opposite  direction, 
but  the  missionary,  prompted  by  a  quick-breathed  word 
from  Havilah,  laid  him  under  an  imperative  arrest. 

"  Stay,  my  young  friend,"  was  the  old  pastor's  sudden  ex 
clamation  ;  "  you  are  a  subject  for  my  authority," —  and  he 
pointed  to  the  sling  and  ill-adjusted  bandage,  to  which  his 
attention  had  just  been  attracted.  "  I  am  going  for  lint  and 
ointment,  then  to  my  hospital  on  the  hill.  I  cannot  suffer 
you  out  of  my  sight  without  the  promise  that  you  will  meet 
me  there." 

Meredith  gave  his  parole,  and  thus  they  separated. 


234  EL  FUBEIDIS. 


CHAPTER    XXI. 

% 

"  GOOD  morning,  M.  Lapierre  ! "  exclaimed  a  voice 
behind  the  old  missionary,  who,  on  the  third  day  after  the 
catastrophe,  stood  erect  upon  the  projecting  Falcon  Perch, 
and  viewed  the  scene  of  desolation  below. 

"  Peace  be  with  you,  my  son  ! "  responded  the  pastor,  as 
he  turned  and  saw  the  Englishman.  "  You  have  been  ab 
sent  from  the  village  since  yesterday.  I  began  to  fear  you 
had  gone  as  you  came,  upon  the  wings  of  the  night-wind." 

"  I  have  been  to  visit  my  hosts  at  the  convent,"  answered 
Meredith,  taking  his  stand  beside  the  venerable  man.  "  Old 
Hubert  crept  down  from  his  eyrie  two  days  ago  to  learn  the 
particulars  of  the  misfortunes  here,  and  carry  back  tidings 
to  the  brethren.  I  saw  him  for  a  moment :  it  seems  that 
my  disappearance  on  the  eve  of  the  disaster  has  created 
considerable  anxiety  at  the  monastery,  and  I  feared  my 
failing  to  return  would  be  deemed  discourteous,  not  to  say 
ungrateful,  to  my  old  friends  there." 

"  And  this  suffering  member  ?  "  interrogated  M.  Lapierre, 
laying  his  hand  on  Meredith's  injured  arm. 

"  Is  better,"  was  the  reply.  "  Had  the  limb  been  skilfully 
treated  at  first,  I  have  no  doubt  it  would  have  healed  before 
now.  As  it  is,  the  relief  is  wonderful,  and  I  have  a  large 
stock  of  patience  on  hand.  The  good  Superior  is  charmed 
with  the  success  of  his  practice.  I  respected  the  etiquette 
which  prevails  among  the  medical  faculty  so  far  as  to  conceal 


EL  FUREIDIS.  235 

from  him  the  fact  that  I  had  had  the  benefit  of  other  advice, 
and  he  feels  himself  qualified  to  receive  a  diploma,  in  view 
of  the  wonderful  cure  he  has  wrought." 

M.  Lapierre  smiled.  "  And  how  does  he  view  the  calami 
tous  condition  of  El  Fureidis  ?  " 

""With  similar  self-complacency.  He  is  persuaded  that, 
had  the  village  been  under  the  protection  of  his  blessed 
Lady  Mary,  it  might,  like  the  convent,  have  withstood  earth 
quake  and  flood ;  and  at  the  moment  when  I  encountered 
Father  Hubert  in  the  village,  he  was  rousing  the  credulity 
of  a  wonder-sti'icken  group  of  peasantry  with  accounts  of 
the  various  campaigns  which  the  favorite  saint  of  the  frater 
nity  has  for  years  been  carrying  on  with  the  elements,  and 
always  with  unvarying  success.  It  was  the  first  time  I  had 
ever  seen  anything  of  a  proselyting  spirit  among  the  simple- 
hearted  recluses." 

"  They  are  not  the  only  men,"  answered  M.  Lapierre, 
"  who  will  quote  this  visitation  of  Providence  as  an  argu 
ment  against  our  Protestant  faith.  I  have  within  a  few 
days  seen  several  Druse  Akals  expostulating  vehemently 
with  those  of  their  race  who  have  abandoned  their  ancient 
mysticisms  for  our  simple  belief,  and  I  this  morning  recog 
nized  in  the  village  a  well-known  Jesuit  priest  from  Zahleh, 
who  will,  no  doubt,  endeavor  to  excite  the  fears  and  super 
stitions  of  the  Maronite  portion  of  our  population.  I  do  not 
fear,  however,  for  the  steadfastness  and  patience  of  the  ma 
jority  of  my  flock.  I  find  them  more  reasonable  and  docile 
than  could  have  been  expected.  Some,  indeed,  are  bitter 
in  their  murmurings ;  and  a  few  of  our  energetic  young 
men,  who  are  bound  by  no  family  ties,  have  already  turned 
their  backs  upon  a  place  which  they  believe  to  be  under  the 
curse  of  the  Lord,  and  have  gone  to  try  their  fortune  on  the 
sea-board." 


236  EL  FUREIDIS. 

"  Poor  fellows !  "  said  Meredith  ;  "  I  met  them  half-way 
across  the  mountain,  with  their  wallets  on  their  backs.  I 
am  sorry  for  them,  —  sorry,  too,  for  this  discouragement  to 
the  success  of  your  mission." 

"  Such  instances  as  this  do  not  discourage  me,"  said 
Father  Lapierre.  "  Even  in  the  most  favored  lands,  where 
civil  and  religious  liberty  have  for  centuries  exercised  their 
sway,  the  faith  of  whole  communities  is  biased,  if  not  shaped, 
by  their  worldly  interests  ;  their  theology  is  the  superstruc 
ture  of  which  gold  and  policy  are  the  corner-stones,  and 
the  former  sinks  the  moment  the  latter  are  undermined. 
Who  can  wonder,  then,  if  a  people  who  have  found  refuge 
from  priestly  tyranny  and  political  oppression  under  a  sys 
tem  where  prosperity  and  religion  made  common  cause, 
should  shrink  from  that  chastening  of  Providence  which 
has  in  a  single  night  reduced  them  from  comfort  and  peace 
to  beggary  and  desperation  ?  For  myself,  when  I  see  the 
straits  to  which  my  poor  people  are  driven,  I  can  only 
bless  God  for  that  experience  of  his  love  which  has  taught 
me  and  many  among  my  flock  to  trust  in  him,  who,  if  he  is 
mighty  to  destroy,  is  mighty  also  to  save." 

"  So  great  a  calamity,"  suggested  Meredith,  "  is  in  itself 
a  call  for  public  sympathy  and  aid." 

M.  Lapierre  shook  his  head  in  the  negative.  "  It  would 
be  in  your  country,"  said  he  ;  "  but  here,  I  grieve  to  say, 
quite  the  contrary  is  to  be  anticipated.  In  the  first  place, 
the  slow  and  infrequent  communications  between  one  point 
and  another  will  prevent  this  disaster  from  becoming  widely 
known.  Then,  too,  the  event  which  to  us  seems  so  momen 
tous,  is  likely  to  excite  little  surprise  or  interest  in  a  region 
where  everything  in  nature  is  liable  to  convulsions  and 
overturns.  Such  earthquakes  as  we  have  recently  experi 
enced  are  by  no  means  uncommon  on  these  mountains, 


EL  FUREIDIS.  237 

especially  at  this  season  of  the  year,  when,  owing  to  some 
unexplained  cause,  perhaps  to  hydrostatic  pressure,  the  gases 
beneath  the  surface  are  subject  to  ferment  and  explosion. 
But  these  shocks  are  seldom  widely  felt,  or  accompanied 
by  destructive  results.  I  do  not  hear  that  any  other  vil 
lage  on  the  mountains  has  suffered  at  all  in  proportion  to 
ourselves.  I  doubt,  indeed,  whether  the  internal  groan  and 
shudder  with  which  the  Lebanon  seemed  to  cast  off  the 
weight  of  El  Fureidis  from  its  broad  shoulders,  would  have 
been  the  cause  of  anything  more  than  a  night's  alarm  and 
a  day's  speculation  and  gossip,  had  it  not  been  for  the  im 
providence  of  M.  Trefoil,  and  the  consequent  undermining 
of  all  the  artificial  foundations  on  which  we  depended  for 
our  security.  Singularly  enough,  the  very  causes  which 
had  accomplished  much  and  promised  more  for  the  pros 
perity  of  our  people  have  been  instrumental  in  their  ruin, 
lanthe  seemed  to  have  an  intuitive  foresight  of  some  im 
pending  calamity.  How  quickly  her  sad  prophecy  has  been 
fulfilled!" 

"  Did  she,  then,  distrust  the  abilities  of  her  husband,  and 
the  soundness  of  his  affairs  ?  " 

"  She  had  had  bitter  experience  in  early  life  of  his  want 
of  prudence  and  moderation.  She  knew  that  his  active, 
enterprising  spirit  was  accompanied  by  a  corresponding 
degree  of  recklessness  and  impetuosity,  and  naturally  feared 
that,  when  unchecked  by  her  influence  and  persuasions,  he 
would  launch  into  new  and  ruinous  speculations.  Like  most 
sanguine  men,  he  has  always  suffered  his  yearly  expenses 
and  outlay  to  run  in  advance  of  his  profits;  and  lanthe 
confided  to  me,  some  months  ago,  her  anxiety  lest  he  had 
laid  himself  under  heavy  obligations  for  the  means  of  in 
troducing  his  final  system  of  improvement  into  the  factory. 
Poor  man !  how  infatuated  he  was  with  the  project  ?  It 


238  EL  FUEEIDIS. 

blinded  him,  almost  to  the  last,  to  his  wife's  slow  decline ; 
it  closed  his  eyes  to  the  risk  in  which  he  was  thoughtlessly- 
involving  the  villagers  by  barring  up  the  mill-stream.  In  a 
word,  my  poor,  simple-hearted  friend  was,  up  to  the  time  of 
lanthe's  death,  engrossed  in  his  new  scheme  as  a  child  is 
engrossed  with  a  toy,  and,  like  a  child,  he  forgot  and  cast  it 
from  him  when  grief  had  changed  the  whole  current  of  his 
ideas." 

"  It  is  a  pity  he  ever  undertook  it,"  said  Meredith,  in  a 
tone  of  soliloquy,  and  half  blaming  himself  for  the  encour 
agement  he  was  conscious  of  having  afforded  to  the  work; 
"  but  the  villagers  will  scarcely  find  fault  with  one  who  has 
proved  the  greatest  sufferer  among  them  all." 

"  So  far  from  it,"  replied  Father  Lapierre,  "  that  I  am 
touched  to  observe  how  completely  they  exonerate  him  from 
any  share  in  their  misfortunes,  and  how  disinterested  they  are 
in  their  expressions  of  sympathy  for  the  man  to  whom  they 
are  indebted  for  all  their  past  prosperity.  They  see  that,  if 
their  houses  are  damaged,  and  in  some  cases  uninhabitable, 
his  little  villa  is  a  complete  wreck  ;  that,  while  their  terrace- 
walls,  for  the  most  part,  require  only  partial  repair,  his 
broader  and  more  elaborate  garden-plots  are  completely 
washed  away.  They  know  that,  if  the  master  closed  the 
flood-gate  to  their  injury,  his  daughter  opened  it  at  the  sac 
rifice  of  the  best  part  of  her  heritage.  Above  all,  they  are 
grateful  to  the  Providence  which  has  spared  the  lives  of 
themselves  and  their  families,  while  many  of  them  cannot 
yet  speak  without  tears  of  the  sorrow  which  has  befallen 
the  widowed  husband  and  the  motherless  child." 

"All  must  feel  themselves  impoverished  in  the  destruc 
tion  of  the  factory,"  said  Meredith.  "  It  will  scarcely  ever 
be  rebuilt,  I  imagine." 

"  I  cannot  foresee  such  a  possibility.     Even  if  M.  Tre- 


EL  FUREIDIS.  239 

foil's  health  and  mental  condition  were  less  shaken,  his  re 
sources  are,  I  fear,  utterly  exhausted." 

"  Have  you  seen  him  this  morning  ?  " 

"  Yes  !  Havilah  was  persuading  him  to  take  some  break 
fast  when  I  left  my  cottage.  I  saw  her  afterward  leading 
him  across  the  bridge  to  view  the  wreck  of  his  property." 

"  Indeed ! "  exclaimed  Meredith ;  "  was  that  wise  ?  " 

"  I  suggested  the  idea  myself,"  replied  Father  Lapierre, 
"  in  hopes  that  the  current  of  his  thoughts  might  be  diverted 
into  a  new  channel,  believing  that  nothing  could  be  more 
dangerous  to  his  reason  than  dwelling  constantly  upon  his 
bereavement." 

"  And  how  did  the  sight  of  the  ruins  affect  him  ?  " 

"  Precisely  as  one  is  ordinarily  impressed  by  the  misfor 
tunes  of  another  man.  He  surveyed  the  spectacle  with 
astonishment,  reiterated  those  phrases  by  which  he  con 
tinually  expresses  his  sense  of  the  universal  misery  which 
prevails,  but  seemed  unconscious  of  any  personal  loss  or 
responsibility  in  the  matter." 

"  And  so  the  whole  obligation  and  weight  of  affairs  falls 
upon  his  child,"  said  Meredith,  anxiously. 

"  No  labor  can  be  said  to  fall  like  a  weight  upon  one  who 
assumes  it  with  such  cheerfulness  as  Havilah,"  observed  M. 
Lapierre.  "  To  see  her  devotion  to  her  father,  one  would 
think  he  had  her  undivided  care ;  but  the  wounded  vil 
lagers  find  in  her  a  nurse,  the  homeless  children  experience 
a  mother's  tenderness  at  her  hands,  the  strong  men  look  to 
her  for  counsel  and  encouragement,  and  the  heads  of  the 
village  households  hesitate  not  to  cry  out  to  her  for  bread." 

"  Poor  girl ! "  ejaculated  Meredith,  with  a  sigh  and  a 
troubled  countenance.  "  She  will  be  overwhelmed,  ex 
hausted  ;  she  is  tasked  beyond  her  strength." 

"  Do  not  fear  for  her,"  said  Father  Lapierre,  composedly. 


240  EL  FUREIDIS. 

"  Her  spirit  rises  with  the  emergency ;  she  is  sufficient  unto 
her  day.  I  trembled,  indeed,  when  I  witnessed  her  agita 
tion  beside  her  mother's  death-bed.  It  was  as  if  the  foun 
tains  of  the  deep  were  broken  up.  Rest  and  leisure  could 
not  have  restored  the  calm ;  but  God  in  his  mercy  has  sent 
her  care  and  toil,  and  with  them  peace.  Do  not  believe, 
young  man,  that  labor  was  ever  a  part  of  man's  curse. 
Toil  was  made  to  follow  in  the  track  of  sin  ;  but  it  was  for 
man's  sake  that  the  dispensation  came,  not  as  an  evil,  but  as 
a  remedy.  You  will  some  day  learn,  my  son,  if  you  do  not 
know  it  already,  that  to  work  for  one's  self  is  an  antidote  to 
pain ;  to  work  for  others  is  a  panacea.  If  you  doubt  my 
words,  look  in  Havilah's  countenance  and  read  a  confirma 
tion  of  their  truth.  There  she  goes  now  ! "  continued  the 
pastor,  pointing  to  a  little  group  who  were  climbing  the  vil 
lage  pathway.  "  Bachmet  is  with  her,  and  Abou ;  the  old 
man  is  leading  one  of  his  master's  donkeys." 

"  The  little  animal  seems  to  be  laden  with  corn ! "  said 
Meredith,  as  he  watched  the  approach  of  the  party. 

"  Yes,"  replied  M.  Lapierre, "  they  have  been  to  seek  sup 
plies  from  the  stone  granary  at  the  villa,  which  fortunately 
escaped  the  flood.  No  one  will  hunger  so  long  as  that 
storehouse  will  furnish  food.  But  it  cannot  hold  out  long 
thus  gratuitously  distributed.  God  help  my  poor  people 
when  this  strong-hold  fails  ! " 

"They must  return  to  their  work,"  said  Meredith  with 
decision.  "Their  houses  and  vineyards  are  shattered  and 
wasted,  I  know,  but  the  farm-lands  of  the  plain  yet  promise 
a  harvest," 

"  True,"  rejoined  M.  Lapierre,  "  and  my  argument  con 
cerning  labor  can  never  be  more  applicable  than  in  their 
case.  Their  miseries  would  be  half  relieved  if  they  were 
once  more  actively  employed,  and  saved  from  that  tempta- 


EL   FUREIDIS.  241 

tion  to  gossip  over  and  dilate  upon  their  losses,  which  is  the 
greatest  snare  to  the  industrious  habits  of  our  talkative  and 
gregarious  people.  But  you  do  not  realize  half  their  dis 
couragements.  In  lands  where  taxation  is  moderate,  and 
justice  fairly  administered,  communities  may  hope  gradu 
ally  to  recover  from  a  shock  like  the  present ;  but  the  mis 
fortunes  of  our  peasantry,  so  far  from  exciting  sympathy, 
only  expose  them  to  the  cupidity  of  a  class  of  men  who 
proverbially  lie  in  wait  for  occasions  to  satisfy  their  greedi 
ness  and  rapacity,  and  who  will  soon,  I  doubt  not,  pounce 
like  vultures  upon  my  poor  flock." 

"  How  so  ?  "  questioned  Meredith.  "  Is  it  not  a  proverb 
with  you,  that '  the  wayfarer  who  is  stripped  is  safe  from  the 
robber ' ?  " 

"  I  will  answer  you  in  the  equally  trite  saying,  that  when 
one  leg  is  disabled,  the  meanest  things  combine  to  trip  up 
the  other.  So  long  as  the  prosperity  of  El  Fureidis  con 
tinued  unshaken,  it  was  one  among  those  favored  villages 
of  the  Lebanon  which  furnished  sufficient  for  the  wants  of 
its  households  and  the  exactions  of  the  tax-gatherers.  The 
rulers  must  be  satisfied,  if  the  people  starve ;  and  nothing, 
therefore,  remains  for  our  beggared  peasants  but  to  submit 
to  the  interference  of  those  farmers  of  the  revenue,  who, 
loaning  money  at  usurious  rates  of  interest,  profess  to 
stand  between  the  Emir  and  his  subjects,  but  who  in  reality 
defraud  the  former,  grind  and  oppress  the  latter,  and  fill 
their  own  pockets  at  the  expense  of  both.  It  is  a  hard  lot 
in  any  case  to  live  under  an  unrighteous  rule,  but  woe  be  to 
those  who,  suffering  intermediate  agents  to  stand  between 
them  and  their  rightful  lord,  find  themselves  lowest  in  that 
scale  where  wrong  begets  wrong,  and  oppressions  accumu 
late  in  an  increasing  ratio.  So  fully  has  experience  justified 
this  fact,  that  the  Syrian  can  scarcely  devise  a  more  fearful 
11  r 


242  EL  FUREIDIS. 

malediction  against  his  enemy  than  this,  — '  May  the  Lord 
multiply  your  sheiks  ! '  * 

"  Why  not  persuade  the  villagers,  then,"  said  Meredith, 
his  countenance  manifesting  a  lively  interest  in  the  subject, 
"  to  take  an  independent  stand,  and  hold  themselves  aloof 
from  such  dangerous  arbitration  ?  " 

"  Because,  my  friend,"  answered  the  pastor,  "  they  cannot 
stand  alone.  Their  wants  are  pressing ;  without  capital, 
they  cannot  even  make  the  necessary  repairs  in  their  ter 
races  and  orchards.  These  harpies  in  the  guise  of  friends 
will  tempt  them  with  money,  and  for  the  present  I  see 
nothing  for  the  poor  husbandmen  but  to  make  the  best  con 
tract  they  can.  Even  now  they  are  deliberating  upon  their 
fate,"  continued  Father  Lapierre,  pointing  out  a  knot  of 
men  who  were  earnestly  gesticulating  at  a  little  distance. 
"  I  must  find  some  means  to  disperse  them.  They  are  only 
aggravating  each  other's  hardships  by  mutual  comparison. 
This  idleness  is  ruinous.  They  might  at  least  employ 
themselves  in  clearing  away  the  rubbish  from  their  dwell 
ings.  M.  Trefoil  is  alone  in  my  cottage,  Mr.  Meredith," 
added  the  missionary,  as,  leaning  upon  his  staff,  he  set  off 
to  expostulate  with  the  people  of  his  charge.  "  Will  you 
give  him  your  company  in  his  daughter's  absence  ?  He 
asked  for  you  last  evening,  —  the  first  time  he  has  asked  for 
any  one  since  the  day  we  buried  lanthe.  I  do  not  despair  of 
your  exercising  a  beneficial  influence  upon  our  poor  friend." 

"I  will  see  him  immediately,"  was  Meredith's  prompt 
reply. 

Jt  was  afternoon  of  the  same  day,  and  Asaad,  still  weak 
and  cramped  in  consequence  of  his  recent  sufferings,  had 
crept  out  from  Father  Lapierre's  hospital,  and  seated  him 
self  on  the  stone  steps  of  the  little  church.  The  poor  fel 
low's  attitude  was  dejected-  The  prospect  before  him,  both 


EL  FUREIDIS.  243 

literally  and  figuratively  speaking,  was  anything  but  en 
couraging.  His  home,  his  health,  his  occupation,  all  were 
gone ;  and  wherever  his  eye  wandered,  it  encountered  the 
symptoms  of  a  despondency  equal  to  his  own.  At  a  little 
distance  from  him  stood  two  men,  the  one  a  tall,  sun- 
browned  mountaineer,  who,  with  uplifted  hands  and  a  dep 
recating  expression  of  face,  was  vehemently  resisting  the 
arguments  of  his  companion,  a  small,  sinister-looking  indi 
vidual,  with  heavy  eyebrows,  gray  beard,  and  a  hooked 
nose.  The  dress  and  demeanor  of  the  latter  alike  marked 
him  as  a  stranger.  He  wore  a  soiled  tarboosh  and  a  long 
garment  of  coarse  black  cloth.  With  his  left  hand  he 
grasped  the  neck  of  a  leathern  pouch,  which  he  now  and 
then  tapped  with  the  forefinger  of  the  right,  as  if  striving 
to  enforce  his  plausible  words  by  this  insinuating  gesture. 
With  one  eye  obliquely  cast,  he  took  the  mental  measure 
of  his  opponent;  the  other  he  never  once  removed  from 
his  lean  diminutive  donkey,  which,  laden  with  saddle-bags, 
was  devouring,  to  its  own  and  its  master's  satisfaction,  a 
little  heap  of  dhourra,  the  contents  of  a  damaged  grain- 
jar,  which  the  half-starved  animal  had  smelt  out  amid  the 
rubbish  of  the  peasant's  dwelling. 

Apparently  the  ill-looking  man  carried  his  point,  for  he 
presently  tapped  the  majestic  Syrian  on  the  shoulder  with 
the  patronizing  tap  with  which  one  puts  the  final  seal  upon 
a  victim,  and  turned  away  to  exercise  his  persuasions  else 
where.  The  dissatisfied  but  despairing  peasant  winced 
under  the  familiar  touch,  shrunk  back  a  few  steps,  im 
proved  the  moment  when  his  persecutor's  back  was  turned 
to  bestow  an  infuriated  kick  upon  the  thin-ribbed  donkey, 
and  then  leaned  against  his  door-post  in  hopeless  apathy, 
deaf  to  the  cries  of  his  children  and  indifferent  to  the 
petition  of  his  faithful  helpmeet,  who  begged  him  to  make 
known  to  her  the  conditions  of  his  fate. 


244  EL  FUREIDIS. 

The  stranger,  leading  his  donkey  by  the  bridle,  passed  on 
to  the  next  cottage.  Its  owner  was,  or  feigned  to  be,  busy 
in  his  ruined  court-yard.  Even  the  highest  officers  of  state 
respect  the  domestic  privacy  of  the  humblest  Oriental,  and 
the  mean  pettifogger  in  rents  and  taxes  could  only  stand 
without  and  hail  the  object  of  his  visit. 

In  a  sharp  key  he  summoned  the  husbandman  to  a  par 
ley,  but  the  call  was  disregarded.  He  reiterated  his  cry, 
accompanying  it  with  a  threat ;  but  the  stout  Druse,  shrink 
ing  from  the  shackles  which  he  well  knew  awaited  his  free 
dom,  maintained  an  obstinate  silence,  and  the  stranger  and 
his  donkey  passed  on. 

Two  men  stood  ready  to  receive  him.  Braced  against  a 
terrace-wall,  united  in  counsel,  with  the  woe-begone  yet  ex 
cited  faces  of  conscripts  anticipating  the  word  of  march,  but 
inwardly  stirred  to  rebellion,  they  awaited  his  proposition. 
The  remorseless  man  of  money  broached  his  terms.  The 
helpless  pair  stood  aghast. 

"  Who  is  that  villanous-looking  rascal  ? "  exclaimed  a 
clear  voice  behind  Asaad. 

The  latter  looked  up  over  his  shoulder  and  saw  the  Eng 
lishman.  "It  is  Ben  Hadad,  the  Armenian  Jew,"  answered 
Asaad,  with  a  groan. 

"What  is  the  old  night-owl  doing  here  ?" 

"  Buying  up  the  people's  life-blood,  Howadji.  That 
wretched  donkey  carries  on  his  back  the  price  of  every 
man's  freedom  in  El  Fureidis." 

"  Ha,  the  hardened  usurer!"  cried  Meredith.  "And  his 
terms,  Asaad  ?  At  what  rate  does  he  loan  his  gold  ?  " 

"  Twenty,  thirty,  forty  per  cent,  —  whatever  he  can 
wring  from  human  necessities.  Our  misfortunes  have  made 
it  fifty  to-day,  if  those  men's  faces  do  not  lie."  And  Asaad 
pointed  to  the  hard-pressed  couple  with  whom  the  Jew  was 
chaffering. 


EL  FUREIDIS.  245 

"  The  Israelite  has  brought  his  money-bags  to  the  wrong 
market,"  said  Meredith.  "  He  shall  find  himself  outbid. 
Hark  ye,  Asaad  !  Can  you  carry  a  message  ?  Have  you 
strength  enough  left,  to  clip  the  wings  of  that  bird  of 
prey?" 

A  ray  of  light  shot  through  the  dim  eyes  of  Asaad.  "  He 
ruined  my  father  more  than  a  score  of  years  ago,"  exclaimed 
the  ex-foreman,  vehemently.  "  The  sight  of  him  chills  my 
blood.  But  it  would  fire  my  soul  to  put  a  stumbling-block 
in  his  path.  These  sore  limbs  would  be  healed  by  running 
on  any  errand  that  would  thwart  Ben  Hadad's  schemes." 

"  Listen,  then ! "  and  the  Englishman  distinctly  pro 
nounced  the  words  of  the  proclamation  which  he  authorized 
Asaad  to  circulate  through  the  village. 

"Do  you  mean  so,  Howadji?  Can  I  trust  my  ears?" 
cried  Asaad,  springing  from  his  seat  with  the  elasticity  of  a 
well  man. 

"  I  mean  what  I  say,"  said  Meredith  ;  "  but  you  must  lose 
no  time  in  fulfilling  your  errand." 

Asaad  snatched  his  turban  from  his  head  and  tossed  it  in 
the  air,  gave  a  triumphant  shout,  and  hastened  down  the 
village  pathway,  proceeding,  it  is  true,  at  a  spring-halt,  but 
wholly  unconscious  of  what  would,  a  moment  before,  have 
been  torture  to  his  cramped  and  swollen  limbs. 

Meredith,  without  waiting  to  watch  the  effect  of  his  com 
munication,  set  out  for  a  solitary  walk  upon  the  mountain. 

"  Is  it  the  softness  of  the  summer  air,  or  the  beauty  of 
the  sunset,  or  faith  in  the  love  of  Heaven,  good  father, 
which  makes  the  people  so  cheerful  and  happy  to-night  ?  " 
asked  Havilah,  as,  returning  about  sunset  from  active 
duty  in  the  village,  she  joined  M.  Lapierre,  who  stood 
leaning  on  his  staff  at  an  angle  of  his  cottage  wall. 

"  The   love  of  Heaven,  no  doubt,  my  child,"  answered 


246  EL   FUREIDIS. 

the  missionary;  "  though  in  this,  as  in  many  instances,  it  has 
come  in  the  guise  of  man's  benefactions." 

"Not  in  the  benefactions  of  the  man  Ben  Hadad,  I 
trust  ? "  said  Havilah.  "  I  have  heard  the  customary  laugh 
ringing  once  more  round  the  sycamore-tree.  Beni  Salhook, 
who  was  yesterday  the  most  discouraged  of  all  the  peasants, 
has  begun  to  repair  his  broken  roof  to-day,  and  is  now 
smoking  a  pipe  in  his  court-yard ;  and  Saad,  the  miller,  who, 
forgetting  the  salvation  of  his  family,  has  done  nothing  since 
the  accident  to  his  mill  but  groan  and  wring  his  hands,  is 
singing  —  " 

She  checked  herself  abruptly,  as,  coming  close  to  Father 
Lapierre,  she  caught  sight  of  Meredith,  who  had  returned 
from  his  stroll,  and  now  stood,  with  an  abstracted  air  and  a 
countenance  of  extreme  gravity,  just  around  the  corner  of 
the  cottage  wall,  which  had  until  this  moment  concealed 
him  from  her  view.  She  had  met  him  occasionally  since 
the  night  of  the  catastrophe ;  they  had  even  reciprocated 
slight  offices  of  attention  and  service  ;  but  had  never,  as  now, 
encountered  each  other  at  a  moment  of  quiet  and  mutual 
leisure.  Havilah  was  slightly  disconcerted,  but  Meredith 
did  not  seem  to  observe  her  embarrassment,  —  he  scarcely 
glanced  at  her,  —  he  even  walked  away  a  few  steps,  as  if  to 
avoid  interrupting  a  conversation  in  which  he  claimed  no 
part. 

"  So  old  Saad  is  singing,  is  he  ?  "  asked  Father  Lapierre, 
with  an  animated  expression  of  interest. 

"  Yes,"  said  Havilah,  resuming  her  narrative,  "  singing 
a  holiday  song  to  his  grandchildren.  There  seems  to  be  a 
jubilee  among  the  villagers.  I  had  not  the  heart  to  stop 
and  question  them.  I  was  afraid  their  merriment  was  only 
echoing  the  hollow  chink  of  Ben  Hadad's  gold." 

"  In  that  case  their  laughter  would   soon  be  turned  to 


EL  FUREIDIS.  247 

mourning,  and  their  joy  to  heaviness,"  said  Father  Lapierre. 
"  But  their  gladness  springs  from  a  deeper  source,  and  has 
a  better  security  than  any  fair  promises  of  the  Jew,  Havi- 
lah.  El  Fureidis  may  well  sound  a  note  of  jubilee  to-night, 
for  she  is  safely  rid  of  the  stinging  scorpion.  Ben  Hadad 
has  gone  back  over  the  mountains,  —  his  money-bags  as  full 
as  when  he  came  hither,  but  his  hungry  soul  unsatisfied." 

"And  the  people?"  questioned  Havilah,  with  a  relieved 
but  still  anxious  countenance. 

"  The  people  have  found  a  surer  banker,  a  more  faithful 
friend,  my  child,"  said  the  missionary,  laying  a  hand  upon 
Havilah's  head,  as  if  to  temper  beforehand  the  agitation 
which  he  foresaw  his  communication  would  arouse.  "  The 
Englishman  "  —  and  the  old  man  glanced  significantly  at 
Meredith  — "  has  promised  money  to  meet  all  their  neces 
sities  ;  he  will  make  a  contract  with  the  government ;  he 
himself  will  farm  the  land." 

For  a  moment  Havilah  stood  gazing  at  M.  Lapierre  as 
if  her  mind  needed  time  to  comprehend  so  great  a  truth. 
Then  tears  of  joy  started  to  her  eyes.  A  weight  was  lifted 
from  her  heart,  which  fluttered  like  a  bird  set  free.  She 
forgot  herself,  —  was  lost  to  everything  but  one  rapturous 
sense  of  gratitude.  With  radiant  face  and  both  hands 
outstretched  she  ran  towards  Meredith,  who,  beyond  the 
sound  of  their  voices,  stood  looking  abroad  into  the  valley. 
His  arms  were  folded  over  his  breast ;  the  prevailing  joy 
had  reacted  on  the  mind  which  had  found  relief  in  the 
sympathy  with  others'  pain ;  his  soul  was  filled  with  gloom ; 
he  did  not  perceive  Havilah  until  she  stood  opposite  to  him, 
with  the  windows  of  her  soul  wide  open. 

"You  will  repair  the  wrong  my  father  has  done,"  she 
cried ;  "  you  will  save  my  mother's  poor !  Heaven  will 
reward  and  bless  you.  Heaven  only  can  ! " 


248  EL  FUREIDIS. 

He  looked  down  upon  her  with  grave  wonder,  as  one 
might  look  at  a  flower  that  had  suddenly  burst  into  bloom 
at  his  feet,  then  slowly  unfolded  his  arms,  took  her  offered 
hands  in  his,  and  answered  with  a  chill,  melancholy  tone, 
which  was  calculated  to  check  and  freeze  her  enthusiasm : 
"  I  ask  for  no  rewards,  and  I  deserve  no  blessings  at  the 
hand  of  God  or  man.  Havilah,  I  have  never  served  hu 
manity  or  Heaven.  Let  no  one  look  for  good  at  my  hands. 
I  seek  only  to  gratify  the  whim  of  an  idler.  One  can 
scarcely  claim  any  merit,"  he  added,  with  scarce  percepti 
ble  irony, "  for  entering  into  competition  with  a  Jewish  knave 
and  usurer." 

The  severe  and  settled  hopelessness  of  his  tone  and  man 
ner  impressed  Havilah  even  more  than  his  bitter  words. 
She  withdrew  the  hands  which  he  could  scarcely  be  said 
to  have  retained  at  all,  so  cold  and  lifeless  was  his  grasp. 
She  would  gladly  have  opposed  that  self-condemnation  by 
which  her  heart  told  her  that  he  wronged  a  generous  na 
ture  ;  but  misery,  which  asks  for  no  sympathy  and  acknowl 
edges  no  claim,  is  a  forbidding  thing.  Havilah  was  awed 
by  the  spirit  of  gloom  which  she  had  herself  invoked. 
Her  eyelids  drooped,  her  lips  refused  any  utterance.  Sub 
dued  and  silenced,  she  stole  away  from  Meredith's  side, 
passed  Father  Lapierre  without  even  a  look,  and  sought 
refuge  in  the  cottage. 

"  He  carries  happiness  in  his  hand,  but  sorrow  is  at  his 
heart,"  was  her  inward  meditation.  "  He  scatters  blessings, 
but  himself  eats  the  bread  of  grief."  The  gentle  compas 
sion  which  many  had  shared  was  now  all  expended  on  one, 
and  Havilah  brushed  away  a  tear,  —  the  same  tear  which, 
a  moment  ago,  joy  had  sent  flashing  to  her  eye,  but  which 
transformed  itself,  ere  it  fell,  into  a  tear  of  pity. 


EL  FUREIDIS.  249 


CHAPTER    XXII. 

IN  a  certain  sense  Meredith  spoke  the  truth  when  he 
pronounced  his  resolution  to  farm  the  land  to  be  the 
whim  of  an  idle  man,  for  the  benevolent  purpose  doubt 
less  had  its  source  in  emotions  which  forbade  him,  the 
strong,  the  rich,  the  independent,  to  look  idly  on  while 
the  poor  were  starving,  and  the  old  and  the  feeble  were 
spending  their  strength  in  vain.  But,  however  much  ca 
price  might  have  influenced  the  man  with  whom  impulse 
was  always  action,  Meredith  was  not  one  to  put  his  hand 
to  the  plough  and  then  turn  back,  and  he  soon  became 
a  farmer  in  good  earnest. 

It  was  not  enough  to  furnish  money  to  the  peasant, 
and  stand  as  a  nominal  barrier  betwixt  him  and  his  op 
pressors.  The  Lebanon  mountaineers,  though  physically 
fearless  and  brave,  and  capable  as  all  mountain  races  are 
of  making  forcible  resistance  to  any  attack  upon  their 
personal  liberty,  are  nevertheless  children  in  their  sim 
plicity  and  trustfulness  of  character.  Exposed  to  political 
fraud  and  duplicity,  they  have  long  been  accustomed  to 
seek  shelter  under  the  wing  of  some  feudal  protector ;  and, 
though  often  deceived  and  betrayed,  they  are  glad  to  pur 
chase  immunity  from  risk  at  the  price  of  a  faithful  al 
legiance.  El  Fureidis,  more  fortunate  than  its  neighbors, 
had  for  years  enjoyed  prosperity  and  peace  under  the 
honest  guardianship  of  M.  Trefoil ;  in  the  incompetency 
11* 


250  .  EL  FUKEIDIS. 

of  the  master,  the  little  village  had  felt  itself  orphaned; 
and  finding  in  Meredith  at  once  a  benefactor  and  a  me 
diator,  it  hailed  him,  in  Eastern  parlance,  not  only  as 
"  father  of  riches,"  but  as  "  parent  of  wisdom,"  and  "  strong 
arm  of  safety  and  power." 

Thus  the  Englishman  found  himself  brought  into  in 
dividual  relations  with  the  peasantry,  such  as  he  never 
had  foreseen,  such  indeed  as  his  reserved  nature  would 
have  repelled,  had  they  been  other  than  the  gradual  growth 
of  circumstances. 

Each  householder  felt  himself  responsible  to  the  How- 
adji  for  the  just  use  of  his  borrowed  capital,  each  petty 
husbandman  claimed  a  right  to  the  Howadji's  advice  in 
respect  to  tillage  and  crops.  The  ploughman  of  the  Bekaa 
would  postpone  buying  a  yoke  of  oxen  until  the  animals 
had  been  inspected  by  the  English  eye;  even  the  village 
matrons  anticipated  with  no  little  anxiety  the  tall  young 
Frank's  encomiums  upon  their  vegetable-gardens  and  poul 
try-yards. 

He  became  the  arbiter  of  disputes,  the  judge  from  whose 
decision  there  was  no  appeal,  and  in  the  occasional  visits 
which  he  made  to  the  cities  of  the  sea-board  he  found  him 
self,  to  his  surprise,  the  commissioned  agent  for  the  purchase 
of  farming  tools,  provisions,  and  household  utensils. 

In  all  this  he  asked  for  no  recompense,  —  he  hoped  for 
none.  He  nevertheless  found  his  reward,  not  in  Havilah's 
approbation  or  encouragement,  —  for  they  labored  in  differ 
ent  spheres,  met  but  seldom,  and  betrayed  no  consciousness 
of  each  other's  pursuits,  —  but  occupation  was  medicine  to 
his  soul,  and  Father  Lapierre's  prescription  was  already 
working  the  patient's  cure. 

Not  that  Mej'fedith  carried  a  light  heart  into  his  labors, 
not  that  he  became,  in  any  degree,  oblivious  of  the  past. 


EL  FUREIDIS.  251 

He  was  everywhere  and  at  all  times  thoughtful,  grave, 
and  sad.  But  life  had  become  to  him  more  earnest,  his 
deeper  sympathies  were  aroused,  his  human  instincts  quick 
ened.  Each  day  brought  duties  which  could  not  be  post 
poned  or  delegated  to  another ;  the  welfare  of  a  whole 
community  was  involved  in  them.  The  cry  for  help 
appealed  first  to  his  purse,  then  to  his  time,  finally  to  his 
heart. 

Havilah  met  him  one  morning  outside  the  door  of  Tyi- 
by's  cottage.  The  young  girl  carried  in  her  hand  a  basin 
of  broth  for  Tyiby's  sick  son,  who  had  rallied  from  the  fe 
ver  of  the  previous  season  only  to  waste  with  slow  decline. 

"  You  will  be  welcome,"  said  Meredith,  as,  having  touched 
his  hat  and  courteously  wished  her  good  morning,  he  stepped 
back  a  pace  or  two,  and  held  open  the  heavy  door  through 
which  he  had  just  passed,  and  which  he  had  left  swinging 
on  its  pivot.  "  The  boy  is  faint  with  long  fasting,  and  the 
house  affords  no  suitable  food.  I  was  about  to  send  a  mes 
sage  to  you." 

"  He  has  watched  beside  my  boy's  bed  ever  since  the 
shadows  of  nightfall,"  said  Tyiby,  as  she  took  the  basin 
from  Havilah's  hand,  and  looked  after  the  retreating  Eng 
lishman.  "  A  mother's  blessing  rest  on  his  English  hearth 
and  home." 

"  He  is  the  last  of  his  race,  Tyiby,"  said  Havilah,  sol 
emnly.  "  His  father  and  sister  have  died  in  his  absence. 
The  tidings  have  come  to  him  over  the  sea.  Father  La- 
pierre  told  me  yesterday." 

"  Ah  !  the  unfortunate  one !  May  the  Lord  compassion 
ate  him  !  "  exclaimed  Tyiby,  with  feeling.  "  But  truly,  O 
child  of  lanthe ! "  she  continued,  in  a  tone  which  had 
changed  from  that  of  sympathy  to  Christian  triumph, "  the 
Righteous  One  has  not  afflicted  him  in  vain.  Trouble  has 


252  EL  FUREIDIS. 

laid  her  hand  on  his  brow," — and  the  woman,  with  an  ex 
pressive  gesture,  drew  her  finger  in  horizontal  lines  across 
her  own  forehead,  —  "  but  sorrow  is  good  seed  sown  here," 
—  and  she  touched  her  heart.  "  Sunshine  is  beautiful  on 
young  heads,  Havilah,  but  it  is  the  soft  rain  which  ripens 
the  harvests." 

Havilah  was  deeply  struck  with  the  truth,  and  its  phra 
seology.  Tyiby  had  unconsciously  drawn  the  reverse  side 
of  that  picture  which  Havilah  had  painted  for  her  mother 
several  months  before. 

On  another  occasion,  when  Havilah  was  returning  from 
Baruk  on  one  of  her  father's  donkeys,  and  accompanied 
only  by  Abou,  she  met  in  a  narrow  mountain-pass  a  young 
man  leading  a  camel.  The  unwieldy  "  ship  of  the  desert " 
was  on  an  outward  passage,  laden  merely  with  an  axe,  a 
clumsy  saw,  and  a  few  iron  wedges.  It  was  destined  to 
make  the  return  voyage  freighted  with  freshly-cut  timber ; 
for  its  master,  son  of  Saad  the  miller,  was  a  vigorous  wood 
cutter,  and  the  repairs  going  forward  at  El  Fureidis  had 
given  an  impetus  to  men  of  his  craft. 

Havilah  stopped  to  exchange  salutations,  and  inquire 
after  his  children,  who,  having  lost  their  mother  within  a 
year  past,  were  ordinarily  intrusted  to  the  old  miller's 
care  during  their  father's  absence  on  the  mountain. 

"  My  fledglings  are  well,"  answered  the  young  man, 
dropping  upon  one  knee,  and  kissing  Havilah's  hand  with 
a  grace  which  belongs  to  the  Oriental  of  every  grade. 
"  Blessings,  lady,  on  those  who  saved  their  innocent  lives !  " 

"The  Englishman  was  prompt  in  rescuing  the  sufferers 
that  night,"  said  Havilah.  "  You  are  going  to  cut  wood 
on  —  " 

She  desired  to  give  a  new  turn  to  the  dialogue,  but  the 
young  man  interrupted  her. 


EL  FUREIDIS.  253 

"The  stately  deer,"  exclaimed  he,  "is  sure  to  follow 
where  the  young  doe  leads  the  way ;  but  a  father's  blessing 
on  you  both.  The  master's  daughter  has  the  first  place  in 
the  people's  heart,  but  we  know  how  to  be  grateful  to  the 
Englishman.  I  beheld  him  an  hour  ago,  smoking  a  pipe, 
in  my  father's  court-yard.  Kassim  was  playing  with  the 
white  hound  of  the  Howadji;  little  Blossom  was  sitting 
on  his  knee.  The  old  man's  face  was  a  fountain  of  glad 
ness,  for  the  Frank  has  pledged  his  word,  that,  before  the 
olives  are  ripe  in  the  orchards,  the  mill  shall  stand  in  its 
place  again,  and  be  ready  to  press  out  the  oil." 

"  How  generous  he  is ! "  said  Havilah,  with  enthusiasm. 
"  He  is  a  prince  in  his  bounty.  I  hope  the  people  are  loyal 
to  him." 

•"The  Howadji  was  a  prince,  O  daughter  of  Trefoil," 
said  the  woodman,  "  when  he  sat  erect  on  his  horse,  and 
scattered  paras  to  the  poor;  but  now  he  is  something  less 
than  a  prince,  and  something  more,  for  the  peasants  have 
found  in  him  a  brother.  We  admire  and  fear  the  proud 
eagle  which  soars  afar  off  and  looks  at  the  sun ;  but  the 
swallow  which  hears  our  children's  call  and  nestles  under 
our  roof-tree,  is  the  bird  which»we  love." 

"  How  that  proud  English  heart  has  melted !  How  the 
stranger  has  won  the  people's  love!"  thought  Havilah,  as 
she  journeyed  homeward.  She  was  musing  thus,  as  she 
drew  near  the  village. 

"  Behold  the  Howadji,"  cried  Abou,  who  was  riding  in 
the  rear. 

"  Where  ?  "  exclaimed  Havilah,  starting  from  her  reverie. 

The  old  steward  pointed  to  a  figure  at  a  little  distance, 
approaching  by  the  same  path  they  were  pursuing.  A 
broad-brimmed  hat  concealed  his  face,  his  eyes  were  fixed 
on  the  ground. 


254  EL  FUREIDIS. 

"  This  way,  Abou,"  said  Havilah,  giving  a  nervous  twitch 
to  her  rein,  and  diverging  into  a  side  path,  overshadowed 
with  shrubbery.  "Go  on,  Abou;  your  donkey  is  fresher 
than  mine." 

The  old  man  went  past  his  mistress  at  a  trot.  She  loi 
tered  a  moment  under  the  shade  of  a  clustering  vine.  The 
Englishman  came  up  the  steep  pathway,  absent-minded, 
thoughtful,  and  slow.  With  his  cane  he  marked  little  cir 
cles  on  the  ground,  a  melancholy  habit  always.  He  never 
once  raised  his  eyes.  Ignorantly,  he  passed  within  a  few 
feet  of  Havilah.  It  would  have  diverted,  perhaps,  the  cur 
rent  of  his  meditations,  had  he  known  that  she  lingered 
there,  watched  his  coming,  traced  the  lines  of  sadness  on 
his  face,  and  sighed,  went  on  a  few  paces,  paused,  looked 
back,  and  sighed  again. 

Meredith  had  become  a  conscientious  laborer,  but  his 
temperament  was  not  one  which  could  be  satisfied  with  slow 
results ;  and,  fortunately  for  his  yet  unschooled  patience, 
evidences  of  success  were  not  long  wanting.  In  the  genial 
climate  and  fruitful  soil  of  Lebanon  the  disasters  of  a  sea 
son,  and  the  loss  of  a  few  weeks'  spring-time,  are  not  so 
fatal  to  vegetation  as  in  lands  where  the  entire  summer  can 
scarcely  ripen  a  single  crop  of  grain.  Industry  rather 
than  skill  sufficed  to  repair  all  damages  to  the  simple  dwell 
ings  and  rough  terrace-walls  of  the  peasants  of  El  Fureidis ; 
man,  inspired  by  hope,  wrought  early  and  late,  and  nature 
did  the  rest. 

Thus  El  Fureidis  soon  rose  upon  its  ruins ;  shrubs,  herbs, 
and  vines  grew,  stretched,  and  clambered,  as  if  striving  to 
atone  for  past  delay;  flowers  re-carpeted  the  earth,  and 
gardens  of  promise  smiled  where  desolation  had  darkly 
frowned.  Thus  the  Scripture  promise  was  literally  fulfilled 
to  the  villagers.  They  had  "beauty  for  ashes,  the  oil  of 


EL  FUEEIDIS.  255 

joy  for  mourning,  the  garment  of  praise  for  the  spirit  of 
heaviness." 

One  source  of  past  prosperity,  however,  was  wanting  to 
El  Fureidis,  nor  did  there  seem  to  be  any  prospect  of  its 
revival.  The  factory,  which  had  furnished  the  peasants 
with  regular  employment,  and  provided  a  sure  market  for 
their  silk  produce,  remained  precisely  as  it  fell  on  the  night 
of  the  catastrophe,  as  hopeless  a  ruin,  apparently,  as  those 
of  the  Canaanitish  temples  on  the  mountain-top. 

The  loss  of  this  life-spring  of  industry  and  revenue,  with 
its  bearing  upon  the  fortunes  of  both  people  and  master,  was 
naturally  a  subject  of  speculation  to  all  who  cherished  an 
interest  in  the  common  welfare,  and  it  furnished  a  subject 
for  much  deliberation  between  M.  Lapierre  and  Meredith, 
who  might  deservedly  be  styled,  one  the  counsellor,  the 
other  the  financier  of  the  district. 

These  two  men,  at  this  time,  shared  a  common  dwelling. 
"With  the  freakishness  of  a  clouded  mind,  M.  Trefoil,  once 
domiciled  in  M.  Lapierre's  cottage,  proved  loath  to  quit  it 
for  any  other  abode.  Simple  as  were  its  arrangements,  it 
afforded,  on  the  whole,  more  comforts  than  remained  in  the 
dilapidated  house  of  the  manufacturer,  and  it  was  therefore 
decided  that  he  should  continue  to  occupy  it  for  the  present. 
Havilah,  making  light  of  her  privations,  cheerfully  took  pos 
session  of  the  little  inner  apartment,  and  Father  Lapierre 
found  in  the  least  shattered  rooms  at  the  villa  all  the  accom 
modation  which  his  hardy  habits  demanded.  For  a  while 
the  convent  continued  to  be  Meredith's  nominal  home ;  but 
gradually,  as  the  demands  upon  his  time  made  a  nearer 
residence  to  the  village  desirable,  he  became  domesticated 
in  the  very  apartment  which  had  formerly  been  allotted  him 
in  the  dwelling  of  M.  Trefoil.  Its  walls,  indeed,  were  rent, 
its  carpet  and  divans  soiled  and  disfigured,  its  furniture 


256  EL  FUREIDIS. 

broken  or  defaced ;  but  Meredith  was  becoming  an  anchorite 
in  the  matter  of  luxuries  ;  the  perfection  of  nature,  and  the 
unrivalled  atmosphere  without,  atoned  for  every  in-door  dis 
comfort,  and  the  missionary  and  the  Englishman  experi 
enced  no  conscious  wants  in  their  household. 

They  were  sitting  together  one  afternoon  in  the  central 
saloon,  which  was  the  portion  of  the  villa  that  had  sustained 
least  injury  from  the  shock.  It  was  evident  that  their  con 
versation  had  been  neither  desultory  nor  languid ;  for  though 
the  day  was  warm,  and  the  hour  one  usually  devoted  to 
repose,  their  attitude  and  expression  betrayed  the  earnest 
ness  of  men  engaged  in  mutual  counsel.  It  would  seem 
that  Meredith  had  been  giving  an  account  of  his  steward 
ship,  for  he  held  in  his  hand  a  long  memorandum  of  rents 
and  charges,  which  he  finally  folded  and  replaced  in  his 
pocket,  saying  as  he  did  so :  "I  have  made  it  as  simple  as 
possible,  and  have  so  managed  that  I  believe  each  land 
holder  will  be  able  to  meet  his  payments  as  they  fall  due. 
If  not,  I  leave  it  with  you,  my  dear  sir,  to  grant  any  re 
prieves  you  see  fit.  The  business  is  simple ;  I  have  been 
gradually  initiating  Asaad  into  all  its  details,  and  know  no 
reason  why  he  cannot  henceforth  represent  me  here." 

"  And  you  will  leave  us  then  ?  "  said  Father  Lapierre. 

"  Yes.  There  are  those  in  England  whom  my  father 
cared  for  and  befriended,  and  who  now  have  claims  on 
me,  —  claims  which  I  might  selfishly  have  overlooked  or 
slighted,  but  for  the  lesson  taught  me  here.  My  presence 
is  no  longer  needed  in  El  Fureidis.  In  England,  I  believe 
I  can  be  of  use." 

"  Go,  then,  my  son,"  said  Father  Lapierre,  "  and  God  go 
with  you.  Heaven's  breezes  are  sure  to  fill  the  sails  of 
him  who  has  duty  for  his  rudder." 

"  There  is  still  one  subject  on  which  I  would  speak  with 
you,"  said  Meredith,  hesitatingly. 


EL  FUREIDIS.  257 

"  Speak  on,  my  son." 

"  M.  Trefoil, — his  resources,  his  future  means  of  support. 
Have  you  penetrated  the  mystery  which  clouds  his  affairs?" 

"  Not  at  all.  Our  friend's  usual  apathy  in  respect  to  the 
business  which  recently  engrossed  him  is  only  equalled  by 
the  inconsistency  of  the  statements  which  he  has  from  time 
to  time  made  to  me.  On  most  subjects  his  mind  has  to  a 
great  degree  recovered  its  tone,  but  I  almost  despair  of 
ever  obtaining  any  clear  insight  into  his  pecuniary  condi 
tion.  I  know  of  but  one  man  who  could  throw  any  light 
upon  this  obscurity,  and  that  is  Mustapha  Osman,  the  rich 
Turkish  merchant  at  Damascus.  He  is  the  agent  to  whom 
M.  Trefoil's  merchandise  has  been  regularly  consigned. 
Some  surplus  funds  may  yet  remain  in  his  hands.  I 
strongly  suspect,  however,  that  the  balance  is  in  Musta- 
pha's  favor.  In  the  latter  case,  I  fear  M.  Trefoil  and  his 
child  are  worse  than  beggared." 

"  They  must  not  want,"  said  Meredith,  in  a  tone  of  re 
solve  ;  "  nor  need  they.  M.  Trefoil's  state  of  mind  is  child 
like  and  unquestioning.  Havilah  is  ignorant  of  her  father's 
insolvency.  Both  will  accept  your  guardianship.  You  will 
labor  among  your  flock ;  Havilah,  as  ever,  will  second  all 
your  efforts.  It  is  a  mission  which  those  who  cannot  ac 
tively  aid  should  at  least  be  proud  to  maintain.  Let  that 
be  my  care.  Do  not  forbid  me  this  small  privilege,  this 
sole  consolation,"  he  continued,  with  passionate  eagerness, 
as  he  already  saw  denial  written  on  the  features  of  M.  La- 
pierre.  "  What  you  refuse  to  friendship  you  will  at  least 
let  me  lay  on  the  altar  of  duty.  You  forget  what  I  owe 
to  your  ministry  and  her  example.  Here  I  might  not, 
perhaps,  be  your  almoner;  but  if  I  go  away,  —  if  I  put  tvo 
thousand  miles  betwixt  myself  and  El  Fureidis,  —  if  I  am 
unknown  in  the  matter  to  all  but  yourself,  —  there  need  be 

Q 


258  EL  FUEEIDIS. 

no  scruples  then.  O  my  dear  friend ! "  he  added,  enforcing 
his  plea  by  a  boyish  urgency  of  toiie  and  gesture,  "  I  only 
ask  to  be  a  silent  partner  in  your  labors.  Do  you  under 
stand  me  ?  " 

"  Too  well,  my  son,"  said  M.  Lapierre,  smiling  kindly 
on  the  young  man,  but  at  the  same  time  shaking  his  head 
in  slow,  emphatic  negative  to  his  appeal.  "  Havilah  must 
not  be  deceived.  If  she  serve  Christ  for  hire,  she  must 
not  do  it  in  ignorance ;  she  must  not  engage  even  in  Chris 
tian  warfare,  without  knowing  at  whose  charges.  The 
free  child  of  the  mountain  must  not  be  trammelled  even 
by  secret  obligations.  Do  not  chafe  at  the  term,"  he  con 
tinued,  silencing,  by  a  wave  of  his  hand,  the  expostulation 
which  Meredith  was  about  to  utter.  "  I  do  not  misunder 
stand  you.  I  know  you  would  be  the  last  to  esteem  them 
obligations,  but  such  they  would  nevertheless  be.  Havi 
lah  is  a  courageous  girl,  —  she  will  not  fear  to  meet  the 
truth." 

"  But  the  truth  is  cruel,  —  it  will  not  spare,"  cried  Mere 
dith,  in  tones  of  positive  anguish.  "  I  see  written  on  its 
face  famine,  cold,  and  want, — a  roofless  home,  an  empty 
storehouse,  a  childish  father,  an  unprotected  child.  M.  La 
pierre,"  subjoined  he,  peremptorily,  "  I  was  Havilah's  moth 
er's  friend.  I  have  a  right  to  befriend  Havilah." 

"  Your  right  shall  not  be  disputed,"  he  answered,  sooth 
ingly.  "  But  whatever  you  do  must  be  done  openly,  and 
with  Havilah's  consent." 

"  That  can  never  be,"  exclaimed  Meredith,  with  abrupt 
ness. 

"  To  be  frank  with  you,  I  doubt  if  it  can,  in  the  form  to 
which  you  have  alluded,"  responded  M.  Lapierre.  "  But 
do  not  despair  as  to  the  future  fortunes  of  M.  Trefoil.  You 
may  yourself  aid  in  opening  his  pathway  to  better  days.  It 


EL  FUREIDIS.  259 

is  possible  you  may  be  more  successful  than  I  have  been  in 
discovering  some  clew  to  his  embarrassments.  Have  you 
ever  questioned  him  in  reference  to  pecuniary  matters  ?  " 

"  I  have  not  presumed  to  do  so." 

"  Under  the  circumstances,  it  would  be  no  presumption. 
Follow  up  the  hint  I  have  given  you  regarding  Mustapha 
Osman.  Obtain  what  information  you  can.  I  will  reflect 
upon  the  subject  of  our  friend's  affairs,  and  speak  with  you 
again.  Meanwhile,  do  not  question,  my  son,  that,  whatever 
be  the  lot  of  Havilah  and  her  father,  it  will  be  well, — for  is 
it  not  of"  the  Lord's  appointing  ?  " 

The  pastor's  hour  of  leisure  was  ended,  and,  taking  up 
his  staff,  he  went  out.  Meredith  looked  at  his  watch.  It 
was  near  the  time  when  Havilah  usually  met  the  missionary 
at  the  village  school,  and,  thinking  it  probable  that  he  should 
find  M.  Trefoil  alone,  Meredith  sallied  forth  for  the  visit, 
which  it  had  become  customary  with  him  to  take  this  op 
portunity  of  paying  the  afflicted  man. 

The  door  of  the  primitive  parsonage  stood  open,  and 
Meredith  had  gained  the  threshold,  when  he  was  arrested 
by  the  sound  of  Havilah's  voice  from  within.  She  seemed 
to  be  reading  aloud,  and  Meredith  hastily  retreated.  But 
he  was  too  late.  His  shadow  had  fallen  across  the  floor. 
M.  Trefoil  recognized  his  figure  as  he  withdrew,  and  called 
to  him  in  a  tone  so  much  more  cheerful  than  was  his  wont, 
that  Meredith  was  arrested  less  by  the  words,  "  Hey !  my 
friend,  come  in!"  than  by  surprise  at  the  heartiness  of  the 
salutation. 

Thus  summoned,  he  entered  the  dwelling,  the  inner  ob 
scurity  of  which  contrasted  so  strongly  with  the  midday 
glare  outside,  that  his  eye  could  only  gradually  distinguish 
the  occupants  of  the  apartment.  M.  Trefoil  himself  was 
the  most  prominent  object.  Wrapped  in  a  flowered  dress- 


260  EL  FUREIDIS. 

ing-gown,  his  feet  encased  in  yellow  slippers,  and  his  red 
tarboosh  pushed  back  from  his  forehead,  he  sat  upright 
upon  the  centre  of  the  divan,  and  Meredith  saw  at  a 
glance  that  his  countenance  wore  an  expression  of  anima 
tion  which  had  been  wanting  for  many  weeks  past.  Havi- 
lah,  with  Ayib  beside  her,  was  seated  on  a  cushion  at  her 
father's  feet.  An  open  letter  was  on  her  lap.  Meredith 
did  not  see  her  until  the  gazelle  rubbed  its  head  against  his 
hand  to  attract  attention.  He  then  looked  down  at  the  little 
creature,  perceived  its  mistress  also,  and  bowed. 

Havilah  met  his  glance,  bent  her  head  in  acknowledg 
ment,  and  kept  her  eyes  fixed  upon  the  written  page,  from 
which  she  had  been  reading.  At  the  same  moment  there 
was  a  slight  movement  in  a  remote  part  of  the  room ;  a 
dark  figure  in  loose  drapery  rose  from  the  corner,  in  which 
it  had  hitherto  been  concealed,  and  came  forward  a  pace  or 
two. 

"  Ah,  Abdoul,  my  boy !  is  that  you  ? "  exclaimed  Mere 
dith,  with  a  start  of  surprise  as  he  recognized  his  Arab 
guide,  of  whom  he  had  heard  and  seen  nothing  since  the 
youth  disappeared,  unnoticed  by  any  one,  on  the  day  of 
lanthe's  burial. 

Abdoul  answered  only  by  a  silent  obeisance ;  and,  retreat 
ing  into  his  corner,  with  one  hand  pressed  upon  his  heart, 
slunk  back  against  the  wall,  drew  his  turban  over  his 
brow,  and  folded  his  long,  supple  arms,  or  rather  inter 
twined  them,  like  a  cable,  across  his  breast. 

"  Sit  down,  Mr.  Meredith,  sit  down,"  cried  M.  Trefoil, 
with  something  of  that  clear  ring  to  his  voice  which  had 
'  formerly  lent  cordiality  to  his  hospitable  entreaties.  Mer 
edith  took  the  seat  to  which  his  friend  pointed.  "  We  have 
news,"  continued  the  latter,  in  a  tone  at  once  elated  and 
confidential, — "news  from  an  unexpected  quarter,  and  very 


EL  FUREIDIS.  261 

welcome  news  too.  Abdoul  is  a  child  of  the  desert,  but  he 
sees  the  world  for  all  that.  Abdoul  is  fresh  from  the  Paris 
of  the  Orient.  He  brings  us  the  latest  news  from  Damas 
cus  ;  and,  what  is  best  of  all,  a  letter  from  my  friend,  Mus- 
tapha  Osman.  Mustapha  Osman  has  been  my  friend  for 
years,  Mr.  Meredith,  ever  since  I  have  been  in  El  Furei- 
dls ;  he  is  my  consignee,  my  business  agent,  the  framer  of 
my  fortunes,  I  may  say.  His  own  fortune  is  large,  —  large, 
sir,  it  is  gigantic.  So  is  his  heart ;  he  has  the  heart  of  an 
emperor.  He  has  written  me  a  letter  full  of  sympathy ; 
not  a  word  of  business,  but  sympathy, — yes,  real  sympa 
thy  ; "  —  and  with  that  quick  transition  of  feeling  which  be 
trayed  the  still  enfeebled  mind,  M.  Trefoil,  as  he  repeated 
the  last  word,  became  suddenly  subdued,  in  his  transitory 
flow  of  spirits ;  and  added,  in  a  broken  voice,  wiping  the 
tears  from  his  eyes :  "  But  you  must  hear  what  he  says. 
Havilah,  read  the  letter  to  Mr.  Meredith.  Begin  at  the  be 
ginning,  my  daughter,  I  shall  like  to  hear  it  again ; "  —  and 
M.  Trefoil  threw  his  handkerchief  over  his  face,  and  settled 
himself  on  the  divan,  preparatory  to  listening,  for  the  third 
time,  to  the  grateful  contents  of  the  epistle. 

The  letter  which  Havilah  read,  in  distinct,  though  now 
and  then  trembling  utterance,  ran  thus :  — 

"  Peace  be  with  thee,  O  Augustine,  brother  of  my  heart, 
and  widowed  husband  of  lanthe  !  peace  be  with  thee, 
O  man,  greatly  bereaved !  and  may  He  that  pitieth  and 
comforteth  shower  upon  thee  and  upon  thy  household  the 
choicest  blessings  with  which  He  blesses.  I  extend  my 
hand  unto  thee,  O  my  brother,  and  embrace  thee  in  my  heart 
of  hearts.  I  can  take  the  measure  of  thy  consuming  sorrow, 
for  did  not  the  angel  of  Death  snatch  from  my  bosom  the 
faithful  Fatimah,  and  bear  her  to  the  Paradise  of  the  Prophet. 
Time,  the  consoler,  has  lifted  up  the  head  that  was  bowed 


262  EL  FUREIDIS. 

down ;  but  my  spirit  yet  yearns  for  the  beloved  spouse  of 
my  youth,  Fatimah,  chief  among  women.  Thus  I  hail 
thee,  O  man  of  sorrow !  and  salute  thee  as  a  companion 
who  has  drunk  with  me  from  the  bitter  wells  of  affliction. 
Peace  be  with  the  dove-eyed  daughter  of  thine  house,  who 
reposes  no  longer  on  the  maternal  breast ;  peace  and  bene 
diction  on  the  dark-haired  Havilah,  who  came  hither  with 
thee  a  bud  of  promise,  and  whom  Abdoul,  son  of  Zana- 
deen,  styles  the  Lebanon  Rose.  Say  to  the  blooming  maiden, 
that  Maysunah,  sole  child  of  my  affection,  has  ripened  but 
to  fade.  She  droops  like  a  flower  whose  stem  no  longer 
drinks  in  the  dew. 

"  Tell  him  of  the  snowy  beard,  dwelling  beside  thee  on 
the  sacred  mount,  that  the  aching  soul  of  Mustapha  remem 
bers  the  gifts  of  his  healing  hand,  and  craves  them  for  his 
child. 

"  Come  hither,  I  pray  thee,  O  Augustine,  my  brother. 
Damascus,  a  throned  queen,  sits  among  her  gardens.  Her 
fragrant  breezes  woo  the  sick  at  heart.  The  doors  of  Mus 
tapha  stand  open  wide,  his  spirit  welcomes  thee  from  afar. 
Come  hither,  and  bring  with  thee  a  fair  mate  to  Maysunah's 
loneliness,  and  him  to  whom  Allah  has  given  power  to  read 
disease  and  apply  the  remedy.  Farewell ;  may  thy  soul 
take  refuge  with  the  Highest.  The  Ancient  of  benefits  be 
thy  protector,  and  so  fulfil  the  prayer  of  Mustapha. 

"  Written  in  the  name  of  Allah,  and  in  the  faith  of  Al 
lah's  Prophet." 

There  was  a  short  silence  as  Havilah  finished  reading. 
It  was  broken  by  M.  Trefoil,  who,  suddenly  snatching  away 
the  handkerchief  from  his  face,  exclaimed,  energetically, 
"  Havilah,  we  must  go  to  Damascus !  Father  Lapierre 
never  refuses  the  call  of  the  unfortunate.  I  must  see  my 
friend,  Mustapha.  The  journey  will  invigorate  us  all ;  we 
will  go!" 


EL  FUREIDIS.  263 

"With  a  startled  expression,  Havilah  rose,  and  leaned 
on  her  father's  shoulder,  out  of  reach  of  his  eye.  His 
sudden  resolution  and  announcement  alarmed  her,  and  not 
without  reason.  It  was  difficult  to  judge  whether  they 
were  the  result  of  restored  powers,  or  of  an  excitement 
more  unnatural  and  painful  than  his  previous  dulness  and 
apathy.  She  made  no  answer  to  his  proposition. 

"  What  say  you,  my  child  ? "  he  asked,  looking  up  into 
her  face. 

"  As  you  think  best,"  she  answered,  dutifully,  though  with 
effort.  Her  heart  trembled,  not  for  herself,  but  for  him. 
Already  she  foresaw  and  dreaded  the  perils  of  the  way. 

But  M.  Trefoil  dreaded  nothing.  His  elastic  spirit  was 
on  the  rebound.  In  a  tone  of  exhilaration  he  now  addressed 
himself  to  Meredith.  "You  will  go  with  us,  my  friend," 
he  said,  in  a  tone  of  confident  assertion. 

Meredith,  unprepared  for  such  a  challenge,  hesitated,  and 
glanced  at  Havilah.  Her  eye  was  fixed  upon  him,  as  if  in 
his  answer  was  her  only  hope.  "I  will,"  he  responded, 
with  decision. 

"  It  is  settled  then,  and  we  all  go  to  Damascus  in  com 
pany,"  proclaimed  M.  Trefoil,  rubbing  his  hands  together, 
in  his  characteristic  way,  as  a  token  of  satisfaction ;  and,  a 
new  and  welcome  turn  thus  given  to  his  thoughts,  he  ex 
hausted  an  hour  of  conversation  in  forming  plans  and  mak 
ing  suggestions  concerning  the  journey  so  abruptly  deter 
mined  on.  But  he  alone  was  at  ease.  Havilah  looked 
distressed  and  anxious ;  Meredith,  doubtful  of  the  part  he 
was  expected  to  play. 

As  he  rose  to  go,  and  M.  Trefoil  preceded  him  through 
the  door-way,  the  young  man,  resolved  to  make  sure  of  his 
position,  stepped  back,  and  said,  in  a  low  and  apologetic 
tone,  "Have  I  offended  Havilah  by  my  promise  to  her 
father?" 


264  EL  FUREIDIS. 

"  Offended  ?  0,  no ! "  she  answered,  her  eyes  glistening 
through  tears.  "  You  are  our  best  friend.  You  are  like  a 
father  to  the  villagers ;  you  are  like  a  son  to  my  father." 

As  she  inadvertently  spoke  the  last  words,  and  their  im 
port  flashed  upon  her ;  the  beautiful  face,  which  a  moment 
before  had  been  unnaturally  pale,  became  deeply  tinged 
with  crimson. 

But  Meredith,  if  he  observed,  mistook  the  cause  of  her 
confusion.  In  his  manly  simplicity  he  gave  only  the  most 
natural  interpretation  to  her  words,  and  replied,  as  if  re 
assured  on  a  mere  point  of  doubt :  "  Thank  you ;  you  are 
too  kind.  I  do  not  deserve  your  praise ;  but,  with  your  per 
mission,  I  shall  be  proud  and  happy  to  travel  with  you  to 
Damascus  ; "  —  and,  his  resolution  thus  confirmed,  he  bade 
her  farewell. 

In  the  corner,  meanwhile,  sat  one  who  needed  no  such 
confirmation  of  the  truth.  He  could  not  hear  the  last,  low- 
spoken  words  of  the  Englishman  and  Havilah,  nor  did  his 
quick  instincts  demand  any  such  literal  medium  of  inter 
course.  With  that  keenness  unknown  to  the  civilized  man, 
the  young  savage  had  marked  that  mutual  play  of  feature 
which  was  to  him  an  open  book.  His  flashing  eyes,  like 
electric  balls,  had  intercepted  the  subtile  fluid  which  was 
transmitted  along  the  line  of  thought,  and  with  unerring 
accuracy  he  read  the  import  of  the  telegraphic  message. 


EL  FUBEIDIS.  265 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 

PASS  over  now  the  preparations  for  journeying,  and  be 
hold  our  travellers  on  their  route  to  Damascus.  A  pilgrim 
band,  winding  single  file  over  a  precipitous  pass,  furnishes  a 
picturesque  scene  in  any  mountain-land.  In  Lebanon,  to 
follow  such  a  company  is  to  turn  the  pages  of  a  gilded 
romance.  Nature  unfolds  all  her  treasures,  and  tells  a  story 
of  every  clime.  Grandeur  and  softness,  ruggedness  and 
beauty,  richness  and  desolation,  alternate  in  the  tale,  and  the 
moving  figures  in  the  foreground  of  the  panorama  lend  inter 
est  and  life  to  the  whole.  Here  the  gay  trappings  of  horses 
and  mules,  the  flowing  robes  of  guides  and  dragomans,  con 
trast  with  a  heavy  background  of  gray  rock  or  pine ;  there 
the  little  procession  has  come  out  into  the  sunlight,  which 
flashes  back  from  silver-mounted  bridles,  sabre-hilts,  and 
glittering  gun-barrels.  As  men  and  animals  wind  along  the 
brow  of  some  steep  acclivity,  the  minute  outlines  of  their 
forms  are  defined  against  the  clear  blue  sky;  as  they  de 
scend  into  the  shady  wady  or  rocky  ravine  the  procession 
is  lost  to  sight,  to  reappear  at  some  unexpected  cleft  in  the 
mountain-side. 

The  bridle-path  was  intricate,  but  well  known  to  the 
inhabitants  of  the  district,  and  two  native  muleteers  led  the 
van  of  M.  Trefoil's  party.  Beside  the  animals  which  they 
rode,  each  had  charge  of  a  sumpter  mule,  laden  with  the 
cumbrous  equipment  essential  on  a  Syrian  journey,  where 
12 


266  EL  FUREIDIS 

no  way-side  inn  awaits  the  traveller.  Meredith  followed, 
mounted  on  the  jet-black  Arab  horse  which  had  been  the 
companion  of  many  months'  wandering,  and  was  obedient 
to  the  slightest  word  of  its  rider.  When  he  and  Abdoul  for 
sook  both  baggage  and  saddle-horses  to  join  the  funeral 
train  of  lanthe,  all  their  steeds  made  instant  escape  in  the 
direction  of  the  desert,  and  it  was  in  pursuance  of  their 
tracks  that,  later  in  the  evening,  Abdoul  likewise  fled  from 
El  Fureidis ;  but  long  before  the  youth  reappeared  to  report 
only  partial  success  in  the  recovery  of  his  master's  property, 
the  faithful  Arabian  horse  had  made  its  way  back  to  El 
Fureidis,  had  recognized  the  Englishman,  had  rubbed  its 
graceful  head  against  his  shoulder,  and  with  a  coaxing  eye 
entreated  to  be  taken  once  more  into  his  service. 

A  somewhat  heavily-built  nag  served  the  turn  of  M.  Tre 
foil,  whom  habit  had  never  made  a  good  horseman,  and  who 
loved  a  sober  steed.  The  good  man's  breath  came  short, 
and  his  otherwise  voluble  tongue  was  effectually  silenced  by 
the  jolting  exercise  of  the  road,  except  as  he  occasionally 
gathered  voice  for  an  anxious  inquiry  or  a  sudden  expres 
sion  of  alarm,  caused  by  the  difficulties  of  the  path ;  but 
Meredith's  experience  and  encouragement  came  constantly 
to  his  aid,  and  the  courage  and  endurance  which  had  flagged 
in  the  outset  gained  strength  as  he  proceeded. 

Nothing  could  have  been  in  greater  contrast  to  the  corpu 
lent  figure  and  timid  horsemanship  of  M.  Trefoil  thau  the 
erect  and  dignified  posture  of  M.  Lapierre,  who  rode  with 
the  easy  grace  of  an  ancient  cavalry  officer,  —  reining  in 
a  fractious  horse  with  one  hand,  while  with  the  other  he 
pointed  out  to  Havilah  the  most  striking  features  of  the 
prospect. 

Havilah's  attention  was  divided  between  the  conversation 
of  M.  Lapierre  and  anxiety  for  her  father,  while  at  inter- 


EL  FUREIDIS.  267 

vals  her  mind  was  abstracted  from  both  by  the  necessity  of 
soothing  and  checking  her  spirited  gray  mare,  the  same 
which  had  been  Meredith's  legacy  to  her  on  leaving  El  Fu- 
reidis,  and  which,  now  curvetting  and  frisking  like  a  young 
colt,  continually  strove  to  break  from  the  line  of  march, 
shaking  its  silken  mane,  curling  its  nostrils  disdainfully,  and 
casting  from  its  chestnut  eye  an  oblique,  intelligent  glance 
at  its  mistress,  which  seemed  to  say,  "  This  is  tedious  busi 
ness  for  you  and  me,  pretty  one  ! " 

Geita,  who  had  pleaded  hard  for  the  indulgence  of  a  visit 
to  the  Eastern  capital,  and  had  boasted  of  her  ability  to 
endure  fatigue,  began  to  droop  in  the  saddle.  She  had 
assumed  not  a  few  coquettish  airs  on  bidding  adieu  to  her 
fellow-servants ;  but  either  her  spirits  had  become  ex 
hausted  with  travel,  or  this  once  vagabond  child  of  a  Turk 
ish  janizary  already  missed  the  society  of  Bachmet,  over 
whom,  in  virtue  of  her  Osmanli  parentage,  she  was  accus 
tomed  to  exercise  a  species  of  petty  tyranny,  equally  agree 
able  to  both  parties. 

Meredith's  travelling  accoutrement  brought  up  the  rear 
of  the  mountain  caravan.  It  consisted,  independently  of 
Abdoul,  of  three  armed  men,  and  twice  that  number  of 
horses.  The  men  were  Arabs,  stragglers  of  Sheik  Zana- 
deen's  tribe,  and  associates  of  Abdoul,  in  company  with 
whom  they  had  recently  come  to  El  Fureidis.  They  were 
wild,  ill-visaged  fellows,  but  expert  riders,  and  glad  for  a 
trifling  compensation  to  engage  in  the  service  of  the  Frank? 
and  take  charge  of  the  pack-horses  ;  the  latter  having  been 
found  indispensable  for  the  transportation  of  those  luxuries 
of  Eastern  travel  which  Meredith's  experience  had  proved 
necessary,  and  the  deficiency  of  which  in  the  provisioning  of 
the  party  he  had  foreseen  and  guarded  against. 

Abdoul,  nominal  guide  and  dragoman  of  the  expedition, 


268  EL  FOREIDIS. 

came  last  of  all.  His  services  for  the  time  superseded  by 
those  of  the  skilful  mountaineers  of  the  district,  he  was  at 
liberty  to  manifest  that  dogged  indifference  which  well  be 
came  his  humor.  He  seemed,  indeed,  to  have  infused  his 
sulkiness  into  the  Khadhere,  which  hung  her  head,  and 
trailed  along  with  slow,  unwilling  pace,  as  if  reluctant  to  en 
gage  in  the  proposed  enterprise,  or  accept  the  companion 
ship  forced  upon  her. 

For  more  than  three  hours  the  travellers  pursued  a 
northeasterly  direction,  the  road  a  mere  mountain  goat- 
track,  and  the  heat  of  the  sun  (for  it  was  now  the  month 
of  May)  becoming  towards  midday  blinding  and  oppres 
sive.  Their  first  destination  was  Kubb  Elias,  at  which 
point  they  were  to  strike  the  route  of  the  semi-weekly  post 
from  Beyrout  to  Damascus.  A  morning  ride  across  the 
highlands  of  the  Lebanon  is  sufficient  to  weary  the  sturdi 
est  horsemen,  and  it  was  with  no  little  satisfaction  that  our 
party,  on  gaining  an  elevated  point,  beheld  at  a  little  dis 
tance  a  ruined  castle  and  a  flowing  stream  of  water,  both 
of  which  were  landmarks  to  the  adjacent  village.  An 
easy  and  quick  descent  brought  the  cavalcade  to  the  desired 
halting-place.  Soon,  horses  were  picketed,  luncheon-baskets 
unpacked,  and  beside  the  clear  stream,  beneath  a  grove  of 
spreading  poplars,  the  tired  company  found  rest,  refresh 
ment,  and  shade. 

They  had  now  gained  the  borders  of  the  fertile  plain  of 
the  Bekaa,  luxuriant  in  verdure  and  grain-crops.  Mejdel, 
at  which  place  they  proposed  encamping  for  the  night,  was 
visible  in  the  distance.  A  journey  of  several  hours  in 
tervened,  but  the  road  was  level,  the  ride  easy,  and  the 
temptation  to  linger  in  the  pleasant  gardens  of  Kubb  Elias 
irresistible.  It  was  not  until  long  after  noon,  therefore,  that 
the  party  were  again  in  the  saddle. 


EL  FUREIDIS.  269 

The  nature  of  the  route  no  longer  compelled  them  to 
move  in  single  file,  as  had  been  the  case  during  the  morn 
ing.  They  preserved  scarcely  less  uniformity,  however,  in 
their  grouping,  Meredith  still  maintaining  a  close  proxim 
ity  to  M.  Trefoil,  and  seeming  wholly  engrossed  with  his 
society ;  Havilah,  whose  mare  had  learned  to  subdue  her 
paces,  riding  leisurely  between  M.  Lapierre  and  Abdoul. 
The  morose  mood  of  the  latter  had  been  sensibly  amelio 
rated  by  Havilah's  considerate  kindness,  and  his  taciturnity 
had  yielded  to  the  efforts  of  M.  Lapierre,  who,  pitying  the 
youth's  isolated  position  in  the  company,  had  beckoned  him 
alongside,  and  contrived  to  make  him  a  partner  in  the 
conversation,  which,  as  it  turned  chiefly  upon  localities  and 
routes,  was  one  in  which  the  desert  rover  was  well  fitted 
to  bear  a  part. 

An  hour  and  a  half  of  steady  riding  brought  our  travel 
lers  to  a  branch  of  the  Litany,  which  coursed  lazily  through 
the  plain.  They  crossed  it  by  means  of  a  modern-built 
bridge,  journeyed  on  through  fields  of  wheat  and  barley 
for  two  hours  more,  and  just  at  sunset  gained  the  village 
which  was  their  destination  for  the  night.  It  was  an  un 
promising  place,  made  hideous  by  the  poverty  and  filth 
of  its  inhabitants,  the  vermin  that  overrun  their  houses,  and 
the  barking  of  inhospitable  dogs. 

M.  Trefoil's  horse  had  flagged  considerably  towards  the 
latter  end  of  the  day's  journey,  leaving  his  rider  and  the 
faithful  Englishman  a  little  in  the  rear  of  their  party.  By 
the  time  they  gained  the  -village,  M.  Lapierre,  Abdoul,  and 
the  attendant  muleteers  had  dismounted,  and  were  sur 
rounded  by  a  swarm  of  peasants,  all  of  whom  were  eager 
to  make  over  the  discomforts  of  their  dwellings  to  the  well- 
accoutred  travellers. 

"  Do  not  alight,  I  beg  of  you,"  said  Meredith  to  Havilah, 


270  EL  FUREIDIS. 

who  still  remained  in  the  saddle,  reluctant  to  commit  herself 
to  the  tender  mercies  of  some  wrinkled  hags  who  were 
beckoning  to  her  from  the  low  doorways.  "  There  is  no 
tolerable  place  of  shelter  here ;  I  am  confident  we  can 
manage  better  for  ourselves  ; "  —  and,  springing  from  his 
horse,  he  approached  Father  Lapierre,  and  addressed  to  him 
a  few  eager  words.  M.  Lapierre  listened  attentively,  fol 
lowing  the  direction  of  Meredith's  finger,  which  pointed  to 
a  picturesque  ruin  on  a  hill  at  a  little  distance.  Abdoul  was 
then  reluctantly  drawn  into  the  council,  a  low  decisive  word 
was  whispered  in  the  ear  of  M.  Trefoil,  signs  were  made  to 
the  muleteers,  and  in  an  instant  all  had  remounted,  Mere 
dith  had  grasped  the  bridle  of  Havilah's  mare,  which  had 
become  restive  in  the  confusion,  and  the  whole  party  had 
galloped  off  in  the  direction  of  the  ruined  temple,  followed 
by  the  howls  of  the  infuriated  dogs  and  the  hooting  of  the 
disappointed  peasantry. 

Among  other  cumbrous  articles  of  convenience  Meredith 
had  not  neglected  to  bring  with  him  his  travelling  tents. 
The  process  of  encamping  is  usually  in  the  East  noisy  and 
confused ;  but  the  skill  of  Abdoul  and  the  resolute  energy 
of  Meredith  had  reduced  it  to  a  system,  so  that  to  choose  a 
spot,  unload  the  mules,  and  erect  the  temporary  lodging, 
involved  scarcely  more  time  or  trouble  than  that  employed 
by  the  host  of  an  English  inn  in  arranging  a  guest-room  for 
the  squire  of  a  neighboring  parish. 

While  active  preparations  for  the  night  are  going  for 
ward  beneath  the  shadow  of  the  ancient  temple,  and  M. 
Trefoil  has  seated  himself  to  watch  the  proceedings,  we  will 
follow  M.  Lapierre,  Meredith,  and  Havilah,  who  are  im 
proving  the  half-hour  of  twilight  by  inspecting  the  inter 
esting  ruin,  which,  situated  on  the  summit  of  a  little  tell 
overlooking  Mejdel,  challenges  the  curiosity  of  the  traveller. 


EL  FUEEIDIS.  271 

"  This,  then,  is  a  remnant  of  ancient  Chalcis,"  said  Mere 
dith  in  a  musing  tone,  as  his  eye  wandered  from  the  im 
posing  masonry  of  the  temple  walls  to  the  graceful  Ionic 
columns,  half  overgrown  with  ivy,  which  lay  scattered  in 
every  direction.  "  And  these  massive  monoliths  and  broken 
shafts  are  specimens  of  an  architecture  even  more  remote 
than  that  of  Baalbec  and  Palmyra." 

"  You  are  right  in  respect  to  time,  though  not  strictly  so 
in  point  of  locality,"  answered  M.  Lapierre.  "  This  is 
doubtless  the  ruin  of  a  structure  erected  by  some  prince  of 
Chalcis,  and  its  site  is  included  in  the  rich  province  of 
which  the  city  was  the  capital ;  but  look  yonder," — and  M. 
Lapierre  pointed  to  a  few  blackened  heaps  scarcely  distin 
guishable  in  the  distance;  "there,  to  the  northeast  of  us, 
almost  overlaid  with  rubbish  and  vegetation,  are  the  sole 
remains  of  a  city  over  which  Ptolemies  and  Herods  have 
been  proud  to  bear  sway.  Two  or  three  miserable  hovels 
with  their  wretched  occupants  now  represent  the  wealth  and 
royalty  of  an  almost  forgotten  past." 

"  But  nature  was  never  more  royal  than  now,"  exclaimed 
Havilah.  "  Hermon  is  still  a  king.  See  how  his  diadem 
glistens  in  the  western  sunlight.  See  how,  all  over  the 
plain,  the  waving  grain  bends  to  do  him  homage." 

"  The  foundations  of  the  everlasting  hills  cannot  be  re 
moved,"  said  Father  Lapierre,  impressively.  "Hermon 
has  witnessed  the  rise  and  fall  of  many  dynasties.  The 
great  ages  do  the  bidding  of  the  Lord ;  the  mountains  are 
his  silent  watchmen.  Another  cycle  of  God's  providence  has 
nearly  run  its  course  in  this  land ;  but  Hermon  looks  calmly 
on,  as  if  conscious  of  the  Almighty  hand  which,  when  it 
has  reaped  its  harvest,  will  delay  not  to  sweep  the  stubble 
from  the  soil." 

"  You,  speak  of  the  power  of  Ottoman  misrule,"  said 
Meredith. 


272  EL  FUEEIDIS. 

"  I  do.  It  needs  no  prophetic  eye  to  see  that  this  age  is 
ripe,  and  that  Syria  is  soon  destined  to  be  rid  of  her  tyrant. 
I  look  confidently  forward  to  the  time  when  men  shall  cease 
to  curse  the  land  which  God  has  blessed,  —  when  commerce 
shall  flourish  on  our  shores,  agriculture  disclose  the  teeming 
wealth  of  the  soil,  and  Christianity  flourish  in  the  land  of 
its  nativity." 

"  You  believe,  then,  in  a  national  progress,  of  which  there 
are  as  yet  but  faint  indications,"  remarked  Meredith. 

"  I  must  confess  that,  during  my  sojourn  in  the  land,  noth 
ing  has  impressed  me  so  forcibly  as  the  primitive  usages  of 
the  people,  and  their  neglect  of  the  natural  opportunities 
which  the  country  affords.  The  village  where  you  and  M. 
Trefoil  have  labored  so  successfully,  is  one  of  those  few 
exceptions  which  prove,  rather  than  contradict,  the  general 
rule." 

"  True,  my  son ;  but  you  must  remember  that  Syria  has 
been  trampled  on  for  centuries  by  a  succession  of  tyrants. 
The  present  government  is  a  mere  system  of  bribery  and 
exaction.  No  country  can  develop  itself  internally,  so  long 
as  it  is  the  victim  of  foreign  oppression.  But  the  pres 
ent  state  of  things  cannot  continue.  It  is  a  stirring  and 
an  eventful  age.  Already  men's  eyes  are  turned  upon  us. 
Western  Europe  and  enterprising  America  are  emulating 
each  other  in  their  beneficent  labors  in  this  direction.  Sci 
ence  is  sounding  our  harbors,  calculating  the  height  of  our 
mountains,  surveying  our  wildernesses,  and  taking  the  meas 
ure  of  our  streams  ;  and  religion  lends  her  aid  and  sanction 
to  the  work,  for  a  faithful  band  of  Christian  missionaries 
are  in  the  van  of  the  reforming  army.  Asia,  until  now  a 
jealous  recluse,  is  flinging  open  her  doors  to  the  stranger. 
Syria  is  the  key  to  the  whole  continent ;  and  who  can  ques 
tion  that  the  son  of  the  "West  will  make  for  himself  a  high- 


EL  FUREIDIS.  273 

way  through  her  deserts  ?  Ignorance  and  tyranny  must 
stand  aside  at  his  coming.  The  oppressor  shall  then  be 
dethroned.  God  stands  at  the  helm,  and  holds  the  nations 
in  the  hollow  of  his  hand.  He  will  remove  the  diadem, 
and  take  off  the  crown,  and  exalt  him  that  is  low,  and  abase 
him  that  is  high.  He  will  overturn,  overturn,  overturn, 
until  he  come  whose  right  it  is. 

"  Even  in  the  desolation  around  me,"  continued  the  old 
man,  with  the  enthusiasm  of  one  inspired  by  his  subject, 
"  I  see  the  foundation  of  future  prosperity ;  this  land,  deeply 
furrowed  by  the  plough  of  disaster,  is  to  me  a  rich  soil, 
beneath  which  a  seed  of  promise  is  ready  to  sprout  and 
thrive.  But  you  have  not  watched  our  present  crumbling 
institutions  as  I  have,  Mr.  Meredith,  nor  calculated  the 
innate  resources  of  our  country.  I  can  scarcely  expect  you 
to  share  my  faith  in  Syria." 

"  Perhaps  not,"  replied  Meredith,  thoughtfully ;  "  for  faith 
comes  by  knowledge,  and  my  faith  I  confess  is  but  partial. 
I  can  see  destruction,"  and  he  stretched  out  both  hands,  as  if 
to  embrace  the  surrounding  prospect,  "but  where  is  the 
harvest  ?  One  need  not  go  far  to  encounter  ruin,  but  to  the 
fruits  of  it  I  acknowledge  I  am  blind." 

"Nevertheless,  it  is  a  law  of  God's  providence,"  said 
Father  Lapierre,  "  that  the  ruin  of  the  old  shall  serve  as  a 
foundation  for  the  new.  That  prostrate  wall "  —  and  he 
pointed  to  a  gigantic  layer  of  stones  — "  may  yet  prove 
material  for  another  generation's  use ;  those  massive  columns 
may  grace  the  portal  to  some  nobler  structure.  Remember, 
my  son,  that  the  fairest  temple  the  world  ever  knew  was 
stricken  .for  man's  offences,  to  become  the  chief  corner-stone 
of  the  church  on  earth ;  and  this  sacrifice  Avas  a  type  of  what 
has  been  and  shall  be  to  the  end  of  time,  —  the  outward 
perisheth,  but  the  inward  is  renewed  day  by  day." 
12*  K 


274  EL  FUREIDIS. 

"  Yes,  day  by  day,"  mused  Meredith  aloud,  "  gradually, 
imperceptibly,  as  if  to  test  our  faith.  Destruction  cometh 
like  a  whirlwind,  —  the  repair  is  slow.  Syria  has  long  been 
a  waste,  but  I  trust  there  is  an  unfulfilled  promise  for  her 
still.  God  and  his  servants  hasten  on  the  day,  for  indeed 
she  is  a  goodly  land." 

The  short  twilight  had  nearly  faded  away ;  the  crest  of 
Hermon  alone  glistened  with  the  last  purple  rays ;  the  stars 
had  shot  out  all  over  the  sky,  brilliant,  beautiful,  as  stars  of 
the  Orient  alone  can  be ;  the  plain  shimmered  in  their  radi 
ance  like  a  swelling  sea ;  the  mounds  that  dot  it3  surface 
reared  themselves  like  islands  in  the  deep;  the  figures 
mounted  on  the  ruinous  moulding  of  the  temple  wall  were 
dimly  visible  even  to  one  another.  The  whole  scene  was 
grand,  illusive,  shadowy.  It  favored  meditation,  and  the 
thoughts  of  all  soared  awhile  on  the  wings  of  silence,  —  a 
silence  which  was  suddenly  broken  by  a  voice  just  behind 
the  group  saying,  in  an  earnest  tone,  "  Sing,  Havilah,  sing  ; 
it  is  the  hour  ! " 

"  Havilah  turned  her  head  slightly,  saw  her  father,  who 
had  noiselessly  climbed  the  wall,  and,  responding  at  once  to 
his  request,  sang  sweetly  and  without  hesitation :  — 

"  Through  night  to  light !    And  though  to  mortal  eyes 

Creation's  face  a  pall  of  horror  wear, 
Good  cheer !  good  cheer !     The  gloom  of  midnight  flics; 
Then  shall  a  sunrise  follow,  mild  and  fair. 

"  Through  storm  to  calm  !    And  though  his  thunder-car 
The  rumbling  tempest  drive  through  earth  and  sky, 
Good  cheer  !  good  cheer !     The  elemental  war 
Tells  that  a  blessed  healing  hour  is  nigh. 

"  Through  cross  to  crown  !    And  though  thy  spirit's  life 

Trials  untold  assail  with  giant  strength, 
Good  cheer  !  good  cheer !     Soon  ends  the  bitter  strife, 
And  thou  shalt  reign  in  peace  with  Christ  at  length. 


EL  FUREIDIS.  275 

i 

"  Through  woe  to  joy  !    And  though  at  morn  thou  weep, 

And  though  the  midnight  finds  thee  weeping  still, 
Good  cheer  !  good  cheer !     The  Shepherd  loves  his  sheep  ; 
Resign  thee  to  the  watchful  Father's  will." 

The  effect  of  the  song  was  at  once  solemn  and  inspiring. 
It  was  as  if  they  had  been  at  worship  in  the  temple,  and  the 
service  was  ended.  All  now  turned  to  depart.  M.  Trefoil 
stumbled  slightly  among  the  loose  stones ;  and  M.  Lapierre, 
who  was  nearest  him,  proffered  a  supporting  arm.  Havi- 
lah  still  stood  upon  the  wall ;  Meredith  held  out  his  hand  to 
assist  her  descent.  She  needed  no  such  aid,  but  accepted 
the  courtesy,  and  they  returned  together  to  the  tent. 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Meredith,  "  for  my  share  in  your 
music.  The  pure  in  heart  have  visions,  and  see  prophe 
cies  amidst  the  clouds  which  wrap  grosser  senses  in  dark 
ness.  Bless  you  for  your  song  of  promise  and  cheer.  The 
mind  may  grope  among  doubts  and  fears,  but  harmonies 
touch  the  soul." 

"  Because  they  are  true,"  said  Havilah. 

"You  are  right,"  responded  Meredith,  meditatively. 
"  Truth  is  an  inspiration  and  a  harmony.  Falsehood  only 
is  a  discord.  Ah ! "  he  exclaimed,  stopping  short,  and  look 
ing  anxiously  at  Havilah,  "  why  do  you  start  thus?  " 

"  A  sudden  fear,"  said  Havilah,  hastily.  "  It  is  past,"  she 
added,  with  forced  calmness  of  tone,  but  trembling  visibly. 
She  had  caught  sight  of  two  panther-like  eyes,  glaring 
from  a  hollow  in  the  rocks.  Wild  beasts  often  prowl  among 
the  deserted  ruins  of  Syria,  and  for  a  moment  she  believed 
such  an  one  about  to  spring  upon  her ;  but  with  the  next 
glance  she  had  recognized  Abdoul,  crouching  like  a  beast 
in  his  lair,  and  evidently  playing  the  spy.  Her  first  cause 
of  alarm  was  dissipated,  it  is  true,  to  be  succeeded  by  an 
other  scarcely  less  appalling,  as  she  detected  the  savage, 


276  EL  FUREIDIS. 

fiery  leer  with  which  the  boy's  eyes  were  fastened,  not  upon 
herself,  but  her  companion. 

"  Something  startled  you.  You  were  not  alarmed  with 
out  cause,"  said  Meredith,  pausing  to  look  about  him.  He 
saw  nothing,  however. 

"  It  is  so  dark  here,"  suggested  Havilah ;  "  one  imagines 
strange  things  in  the  dark,"  —  and  she  made  a  movement 
to  hurry  on. 

"  Yes ;  and  your  nerves  have  been  tried  too  much  of  late. 
Besides,  it  is  growing  cold.  The  tent-fire  will  be  welcome ; 
let  us  hasten  in; " — and,  drawing  her  cloak  around  her,  and 
placing  her  hand  within  his  arm,  he  conducted  her  with 
kind,  almost  brotherly  tenderness,  to  a  small  tent  pitched 
without  the  rums,  and  intended  for  her  own  and  Geita's 
accommodation. 

"  What  could  she  have  seen  or  fancied  ?  "  he  said  to  him 
self,  as  he  retraced  his  steps  among  the  ruins,  and  sought 
diligently  for  some  object  of  alarm ;  but  the  place  was  by 
this  time  deserted,  and  after  a  fruitless  examination  he 
returned  to  his  own  tent,  where  supper  was  spread,  and 
Abdoul  was  innocently  occupied  in  preparing  coffee. 

Dawn,  the  next  morning,  found  M.  Trefoil  on  the  alert. 
Exercise  and  fresh  air  were  already  invigorating  him;  his 
wonted  activity  was  to  some  degree  restored.  He  felt  him 
self  the  responsible  leader  of  a  company,  and  with  officious 
zeal  hurried  about  the  little  encampment,  exhorting  all  to  be 
in  readiness  for  an  early  start.  The  advice  was  seasonable, 
for  the  day  promised  to  be  warm.  No  time,  therefore,  was 
lost ;  and  after  a  hasty  breakfast,  which  consisted  merely  of 
the  remnants  of  last  night's  repast,  the  majority  of  the  party 
mounted,  and  set  forth  under  the  guidance  of  M.  Trefoil's 
Syrian  attendants,  Abdoul  and  the  men  of  his  tribe  being 
left  to  strike  the  tents  and  follow. 


EL  FUBEIDIS.  277 

For  an  hour  the  road  lay  between  gently  sloping  hills, 
densely  shaded  with  oak  and  hawthorn  ;  then  across  a 
dreary,  ill-cultivated  plain,  overshadowed  by  a  rugged 
mountain-range.  At  the  farther  extremity  of  this  plain 
the  little  cavalcade  halted,  to  await  the  arrival  of  Abdoul 
and  Meredith's  men,  being  anxious  to  muster  in  full  force 
before  entering  Wady  el  Kurn  (Valley  of  the  Horn),  a  nar 
row  pass  haunted  by  lawless  bandits,  and  associated  with 
many  a  deed  of  blood. 

"  Would  it  not  be  prudent  to  send  Abdoul  on  in  ad 
vance  ? "  questioned  Havilah,  glancing  down  the  dark,  tor 
tuous  windings  of  the  glen,  then  shuddering  slightly  as  she 
watched  the  rapid  approach  of  the  Arab  horsemen,  whose 
sinister  faces,  and  black  elf-locks  fluttering  in  the  breeze, 
imparted  to  them  a  forbidding  appearance.  "  Abdoul  has 
a  keen  scent  of  danger,  and  knows  the  way  perfectly,"  she 
added,  as  if  anxious  to  apologize  for  a  proposition  which 
seemed  uncalled  for. 

The  remark  was  addressed  to  Father  Lapierre,  though 
intended  for  Meredith,  to  whom  it  was  equally  audible. 

"  There  is  no  possibility  of  mistaking  the  path,"  said  M. 
Lapierre,  decidedly.  "  We  have  only  to  follow  the  bed  of 
the  torrent  at  the  bottom  of  the  ravine,  and  there  are  too 
many  elements  of  safety  in  our  party  for  us  to  dread  a  lurk 
ing  enemy." 

Meredith  said  nothing,  but  he  marked  the  disturbance 
evinced  in  Havilah's  features.  He  could  not  account  for 
the  fears  of  one  usually  so  courageous ;  but  he  had  a  chival 
rous  respect  for  them,  nevertheless.  "  Take  the  lead,  Ab 
doul,"  was  his  somewhat  imperious  command  to  the  youth, 
who,  as  the  company  filed  off",  showed  a  disposition  to  linger 
in  the  rear.  The  boy  gave  an  angry  look  at  his  master,  a 
searching  one  at  Havilah,  then  sulkily  obeyed  the  mandate. 


278  EL  FUEEIDIS. 

Havilah's  undefined  fears  were  relieved,  as  she  thus  saw 
all  communication  cut  off  between  the  young  chief  and  the 
men  of  his  tribe,  who  with  their  pack-horses  were  destined 
to  bring  up  the  line ;  she  had  no  dread  of  the  ordinary 
perils  which  have  given  an  ill  repute  to  Wady  el  Kurn. 

It  was  nevertheless  a  place  to  test  the  traveller's  courage. 
M.  Trefoil  counselled  rapid  riding.  M.  Lapierre's  keen  eye 
pierced  a  little  anxiously  within  the  thick  copsewood  which 
lined  the  narrow  pass.  Meredith  drew  out  his  pistol?,  and 
kept  as  close  to  Havilah  as  the  nature  of  the  ground  would 
permit. 

This  critical  part  of  their  route,  however,  was  compassed 
without  any  other  adventure  or  cause  of  alarm  than  the 
momentary  trepidation  occasioned  by  Geita,  who,  when 
about  midway  in  the  pass  startled  the  whole  party  by  a 
succession  of  shrieks,  and  the  positive  declaration  that  she 
saw  men  prowling  on  the  heights  above  and  heard  the  re 
port  of  a  rifle.  As  the  expected  assailants  proved  to  be  a 
couple  of  majestic  eagles  standing  with  folded  wings  on  a 
lofty  cliff,  and  the  concussion  of  a  bursting  water-bottle  on 
the  back  of  one  of  the  mules  had  been  magnified  into  a 
musket-shot,  the  incident  served  on  the  whole  to  place  even 
reasonable  apprehensions  in  a  grotesque  light,  and  resolve 
possible  peril  into  absurdity. 

After  issuing  from  the  glen,  an  hour's  moderate  riding 
brought  our  travellers  to  a  fine  spring  beside  a  ruined  khan. 
Here  they  halted  awhile,  more  for  the  refreshment  of  the 
horses  than  their  riders,  for  the  place  was  uninviting,  and 
the  khan  afforded  no  shelter  from  the  sun.  It  was  there 
fore  decided  that  they  should  press  on  as  rapidly  as  possible, 
in  the  hope  of  reaching  Damascus  before  sunset. 

The  route  was  for  the  most  part  dreary,  stretching  be 
tween  barren  hills,  then  opening  on  an  extensive  plateau, 


EL  FUEEIDIS.  279 

wholly  destitute  of  verdure.  The  view  embraced  nearly 
one  hundred  square  miles,  yet  there  was  not  a  tree  nor 
shrub  to  break  the  dull  uniformity.  Even  the  group  of 
hills,  dimly  seen  in  the  distance,  chilled  the  senses  with 
their  cold,  bare  outline. 

The  ground  beneath  the  horses'  feet  was  hard  and  flint- 
strewn  ;  anywhere  but  in  the  East  the  scene  would  have 
been  hopelessly  forlorn.  But  in  Syria,  land  of  contrasts, 
let  the  traveller  never  despair.  A  sudden  break  in  the 
hard-featured  landscape,  an  unforeseen  descent,  a  plunge 
into  the  heart  of  this  stony  creation,  and  behold  the  change ! 
A  pai'ched  soil,  a  scorching  sun,  a  Sahara  of  desolation,  has 
given  place  to  verdure,  fragrance,  cool  shade,  and  sparkling 
rills.  Through  the  midst  of  the  dell  flows  the  Barada,  the 
ancient  Abana,  famed  river  of  Damascus.  Little  villages 
are  embowered  on  its  banks,  embracing  on  either  side  the 
beneficent  and  life-giving  stream  which  hastens  lovingly  on, 
defying  obstacles. 

Follow  up  the  ravine  awhile,  cross  the  river  by  a  sub 
stantial  bridge,  wind  through  pleasant  village  gardens,  then 
strike  boldly  up  the  naked  white  cliffs  beyond.  Behind 
you  lies  the  desert,  intersected  by  Abana  with  her  thread 
of  green ;  press  on  through  a  rock-hewn  path,  mount  pa 
tiently  to  the  height  of  land,  and  pause  not  until  at  the 
summit  you  gain  a  little  domed  wely,  or  shrine,  —  landmark 
of  the  traveller. 

Before  you  is  spread  Damascus,  "the  diamond  of  the 
desert,"  the  pearl  of  the  Orient,  "  the  perennial  city."  You 
stand  where  Mahomet  stood  when  he  gazed  upon  the  fair 
est  spot  on  earth,  then  heroically  turned  his  back  upon  it, 
exclaiming,  "There  is  but  one  Paradise  for  the  faithful, 
and  I  will  not  have  mine  below."  You  behold  the  glitter 
ing  white-domed  capital  sitting  among  her  gardens,  a  gar- 


280  EL  FUREIDIS. 

landed  queen,  while  the  golden  Abana,  her  monarch  and  her 
mate,  pours  boundless  wealth  into  her  lap.  You  may  go  the 
world  over,  you  will  never  see  a  more  enrapturing  vision. 

Drawn  up  in  file  beside  the  little  wely,  our  travellers 
lingered  on  the  brow  of  the  cliff,  loath  by  speech  or  move 
ment  to  break  the  spell  which  bound  them  to  the  spot. 
It  has  been  well  said,  that  nothing  less  than  a  city  of 
palaces,  whose  walls  are  marble  and  whose  doors  are  ivory 
and  pearl,  could  keep  up  the  enchantment  of  that  distant 
view.  No  wonder,  then,  that  imagination  shrinks  from  the 
near  reality. 

There  was  a  motive,  moreover,  for  delay  on  the  part  of 
M.  Trefoil  and  his  party.  Abdoul  had  been  sent  forward 
an  hour  ago  to  announce  to  Mustapha  Osman  the  arrival 
of  his  guests,  and,  consistently  with  Eastern  customs,  it  was 
no  more  than  reasonable  to  expect  that  Mustapha,  or  some 
delegate  of  his  household,  should  ride  forth  and  meet  the 
strangers  at  the  city  gates. 

Nor  was  the  anticipation  disappointed.  Long  before  the 
eager  eyes  of  his  companions  were  satisfied  with  gazing, 
M.  Trefoil,  in  whom  the  sentiment  of  friendship  super 
seded  the  love  of  the  beautiful,  and  who  had  been  eagerly 
scanning  the  direct  approach  to  the  city,  proclaimed,  in  a 
tone  of  exhilaration,  that  he  could  distinguish  Mustapha 
and  a  band  of  followers  just  emerging  from  one  of  the 
principal  gateways. 

This  announcement  was  listened  to  at  first  with  incre 
dulity,  but  as  the  well-mounted  troop  drew  nearer,  and  the 
white  mare  and  flame-colored  robe  of  Abdoul  figured  con 
spicuously  among  the  Turkish  escort,  all  doubts  as  to  the 
identity  of  the  parties  were  dispelled,  and,  encouraging  their 
weary  horses  to  one  last  brisk  gallop,  the  little  cavalcade, 
with  M.  Trefoil  at  its  head,  made  a  rapid  descent  into  the 
plain. 


EL  FUREIDIS.  2«1 


CHAPTER     XXIV. 

M.  TREFOIL  had,  in  his  eagerness,  deceived  himself  as 
to  the  identity  of  his  friend,  Mustapha.  The  venerable 
Turk  who  rode  conspicuously  in  front  of  the  approaching 
troop  was  not  the  merchant,  but  his  major-domo  and 
representative,  who  had  been  commanded  to  sally  forth 
and  meet  the  travellers,  his  master,  meanwhile,  preparing 
to  receive  and  welcome  them  in  due  state  at  his  own  portal. 
The  ambassador  of  the  rich  Damascene  was  no  mean  per 
sonage,  however.  A  turban  of  gigantic  dimensions,  a  gray 
head  of  proportionate  size,  a  richly  flowered  pelisse,  and 
an  elaborately  caparisoned  horse,  combined  to  render  his 
person  distinguished,  while  a  solemn  countenance  and  lu 
dicrously  majestic  demeanor  proclaimed  the  dignity  of  his 
office. 

He  was  attended  by  a  couple  of  Abyssinian  slaves  and 
a  native  interpreter.  The  latter  had  been  despatched  as 
a  special  bearer  of  hospitable  entreaties  to  his  Excellency, 
the  English  Milord,  whose  arrival  in  the  company  M.  Tre 
foil  had  not  failed  to  announce  to  his  friend,  and  who  was 
presumed  by  the  latter  to  be  ignorant  of  the  Turkish 
tongue,  the  only  language  the  major-domo  had  at  command. 

Meredith,  who  had  not  dreamed  of  intruding  upon  the 
hospitalities  of  Mustapha,  politely  evaded  the  solicitations 
of  the  interpreter;  but  his  objections  and  scruples  were 
finally  overruled  by  the  Turkish  master  of  ceremonies, 


282  EL  FUEEIDIS. 

who,  discovering  his  Excellency's  familiarity  with  the  Os- 
manli  language,  gravely  assured  him  that  the  dwelling  of 
Mustapha  Osman  was  the  dwelling  of  his  Excellency  ;  that 
if  its  walls  were  not  sufficiently  wide,  Mustapha  Osman 
would  himself  seek  lodgings  elsewhere ;  but  that  it  would 
be  derogatory  to  the  dignity  of  the  Turkish  Effendi,  that 
the  friend  of  his  friend  should  be  dependent  on  the  hospi 
tality  of  a  hireling. 

The  matter  being  set  in  this  light,  Meredith,  who  had. 
now  become  versed  in  Eastern  etiquette,  realized  the  neces 
sity  of  yielding  with  a  good  grace ;  without  further  parley 
ing,  he  therefore  dismissed  Abdoul  and  the  other  Bedouin 
attendants,  and  consigned  the  pack-horses  and  baggage  to 
their  charge,  reserving  only  his  leather  portmanteau,  which 
was  transferred  to  one  of  M.  Trefoil's  mules.  With  a  reti 
nue  thus  sensibly  diminished,  the  travellers  entered  the  city 
gate,  and  took  the  direction  of  the  house  of  Mustapha. 

The  approach  to  Damascus  had  wound  through  beautiful 
gardens  and  fragrant  orchards.  The  fine  old  Eoman  portal 
which  furnished  admittance  within  the  walls  gave  promise 
of  grand  architectural  effects. 

The  moment  the  narrow,  dark,  and  dirty  streets  were 
gained,  however,  the  illusion  vanished.  It  was  now  nearly 
nightfall.  As  the  party  threaded  one  tortuous  alley  after 
another,  filing  between  rows  of  dilapidated  buildings,  over 
hanging  projections,  and  distorted  piles  of  masonry,  they  all 
experienced  that  sudden  depression  of  spirits  consequent 
upon  a  close  atmosphere,  uncertain  lights  and  shadows,  and 
the  sense  of  prison-like  isolation  which  one  feels  on  find 
ing  himself  encompassed  by  the  windowless  exterior  walls 
of  Eastern  dwellings.  Here  a  line  of  loaded  camels 
blocked  up  the  passage,  there  a  pack  of  lean  dogs  were 
snarling  over  a  bone.  Otherwise,  the  gutter-like  streets 
were  well-nigh  deserted. 


EL  FUREIDIS.  283 

Meredith  looked  from  right  to  left,  with  an  astonishment 
not  unmixed  with  disgust.  "  Fancy  and  romance  have  be 
stowed  many  poetical  names  upon  Damascus,"  he  remarked 
to  M.  Lapierre,  who  rode  beside  him.  "  I  should  add  to 
them  one  more,  and  style  it  the  Desert  Mirage.  Can  it  be 
possible  that  this  is  the  fairy  city  which  we  saw  yonder  ?  " 

"  Truly  so,"  answered  Father  Lapierre.  "  But  you  for 
get  that  the  East  is  the  land  of  enchantment.  A  genuine 
Oriental  soon  learns  to  calm  his  transports,  whether  of 
pleasure  or  of  pain.  His  philosophy  and  his  experience 
teach  him  that  distance  and  proximity  are  alike  illusive. 
The  former  does  not  deceive  him,  nor  the  latter  discourage. 
The  fickle  fortunes  of  Prince  Aladdin,  the  fabled  hero  of 
youth,  were,  you  remember,  but  a  dream ;  still  they  fore 
shadow  the  experiences  of  many  an  imaginative  traveller. 
Patience  is  the  true  genius  of  Eastern  climes.  Trust  to  it 
in  the  present  instance,  and  I  scarcely  think  you  will  be  dis 
appointed." 

"  Will  it  convert  this  old  plaster  tenement  into  a  palace 
for  me,  think  you,  good  Father,"  said  Meredith,  glancing 
upward  at  an  ugly  conglomerate  of  wood  and  clay,  beneath 
which  they  were  passing. 

"  Perhaps  so,  —  we  will  see,"  replied  Father  Lapierre, 
meaningly ;  and  as  he  spoke,  Meredith  observed  that  their 
escort  had  halted  in  front  of  the  plain  Saracenic  archway, 
which  alone  interrupted  the  uniformity  of  the  bare  white 
surface-wall,  —  that  the  Turkish  major-domo  had  alighted, 
and  was  holding  the  bridle  of  M.  Trefoil's  horse,  while  one 
of  the  Abyssinian  slaves  was  assisting  the  awkward  rider  to 
dismount. 

In  a  moment  more,  a  horse-block,  covered  with  crimson 
velvet,  was  brought  forward  for  the  use  of  Havilah  and 
Geita ;  and  the  chief  dignitary  of  the  establishment  was  at 


284  EL  FUREIDIS. 

Meredith's  side,  saying,  with  stately  ceremony,  his  hand 
meanwhile  on  his  heart :  "  Behold  the  dwelling  of  my  mas 
ter,  the  Effendi.  Will  it  please  your  Excellency  to  alight, 
and  honor  by  your  presence  the  Salamlik  of  Mustapha 
Osman?" 

"  Blessed  be  Allah,  who  has  conducted  you  hither  in 
safety,  O  my  brethren ! "  said  the  Turkish  merchant,  as, 
presenting  himself  at  the  door-way,  he  received  M.  Trefoil 
with  a  fraternal  embrace.  "Welcome  and  salutation  to 
thee,  O  fair  Rose  of  Lebanon  ! "  he  continued,  addressing 
himself  to  Havilah,  and  bending  low,  as  if  about  to.  kiss 
the  hem  of  her  garment.  She  frankly  offered  her  hand, 
which  the  venerable  Moslem  touched  reverentially  with 
his  lips. 

Meredith,  meanwhile,  took  an  observation  of  his  host. 
He  was  not  a  large  man;  but  there  was  a  staid  majesty 
in  his  carriage,  which  rendered  his  presence,  and  even  his 
figure,  imposing.  He  borrowed  no  dignity  from  his  dress, 
except  as  the  spotlessness  of  his  white  turban  and  the 
sober  tints  of  his  pelisse  harmonized  with  the  repose  and 
solemnity  of  his  features  ;  and  if  richness  of  costume 
had  furnished  the  test  of  rank,  the  major-domo  might  have 
been  mistaken  for  the  master,  the  master  for  the  major- 
domo.  But  independently  of  that  Eastern  ceremonial, 
which  instantly  marks  and  determines  each  man's  grade 
in  the  social  circle,  there  was  that  in  the  countenance  and 
air  of  Mustapha  which  gave  unmistakable  evidence  of  su 
periority.  The  stately  gravity  of  the  major-domo  was  partly 
constitutional,  partly  assumed ;  that  of  his  master  was  the 
result  of  thoughtful  wisdom ;  the  former  was  proud,  in  vir 
tue  of  his  office ;  the  latter  was  serene  in  his  own  simple 
self-respect.  The  extreme  melancholy  of  the  Effendi's  mild 
blue  eye  was  tempered  by  its  kindly  expression ;  the  grave, 


EL  FUREIDIS.  285 

firm  lines  about  his  mouth  indicated  benevolence,  no  less 
than  strength  of  will.  His  whole  countenance  evinced  that 
calm  determination  which  makes  cowards  shrink  and  base 
men  tremble,  but  which  the  weak  and  the  dependent  learn 
to  lean  upon,  and  friends  and  equals  trust  instinctively. 

Meredith  conceived  a  friendship  and  admiration  for  Mus- 
tapha  at  a  glance,  a  sentiment  which  was  to  some  degree 
reciprocated  by  the  Moslem,  who  greeted  the  Englishman 
at  first  by  a  distant  salaam,  then,  as  if  reading  a  recom 
mendation  in  his  face,  advanced  and  cordially  offered  a 
welcoming  hand,  saying  in  a  tone  of  perfect  sincerity  :  "  Our 
nations  are  allies,  O  servant  of  the  Great  Queen !  My 
brother  is  thy  friend.  Let  Mustapha  then  be  thy  brother." 

Meredith  responded  with  the  frankness  of  an  English 
man,  agreeably  tinctured  with  that  Oriental  grace  of  dic 
tion  which  had  become  familiar  to  him. 

Mustapha  now  caught  sight  of  M.  Lapierre,  who  was  in 
the  act  of  dismounting.  Advancing  to  meet  him,  the  mer 
chant  exclaimed,  "  Praise  be  to  Allah,  who  has  sent  thee 
hither,  O  mighty  man  of  healing !  I  have  begged  assistance 
of  God  with  patience  and  prayer,  and  he  has  heard  me,  for 
God  is  with  the  patient  My  dwelling  is  thine,  O  worthy 
physician !  and  I  am  thy  grateful  servant." 

He  then  waved  his  hand,  and  preceded  his  guests  through 
the  narrow  passage  which  conducted  to  the  outer  court  or 
reception-room  of  his  dwelling.  As  they  emerged  from 
the  dark  and  winding  entrance-way  into  the  marble-paved 
hall,  where  fresh  air,  sweet  perfumes,  and  the  sound  of  rip 
pling  water  greeted  their  weary  senses,  Meredith  began  to 
experience  the  dawning  of  a  new  vision  of  enchantment. 
It  was  but  the  dawn,  however,  —  a  mere  foreshadowing  of 
what  awaited  him.  It  was  now  nearly  dark.  Only  a 
feeble  glimmer  of  light  lingered  in  the  apartment,  reveal- 


286  EL  FDREIDJS. 

ing  the  black  and  white  blocks  of  the  pavement,  the  spray 
of  a  central  fountain,  and  the  uncertain  outlines  of  the  tall 
orange  and  pomegranate  trees,  which  threw  the  corners  of 
the  court  into  deep  shadow.  Servants  with  noiseless  tread 
were  moving  in  different  directions,  marshalling  the  attend 
ants  of  the  travellers  to  their  quarters,  or  transferring  the 
luggage  to  its  appropriate  destination,  performing  these  offi 
ces  with  that  dumb  rapidity  which  makes  all  the  operations 
of  a  Turkish  household  seem  the  effect  of  magic.  To  one 
accustomed  to  the  noise  and  bustle  which  ordinarily  at 
tends  an  arrival,  there  was  something  bewildering  in  the 
stillness  and  harmonious  regularity  of  this  reception.  A 
single  gesture  on  the  part  of  the  master  served  for  the 
issuing  of  his  orders.  A  fluttering  of  white  veils  at  the  far 
ther  extremity  of  the  court  announced  the  vicinity  of  May- 
sunah  and  her  attendants ;  a  profound  obeisance  on  the  part 
of  a  swarthy  Abyssinian,  and  Havilah  and  Geita  disap 
peared,  wafted  away  as  if  on  the  breath  of  a  perfume. 
Mustapha  waved  his  hand  to  his  friends,  who,  by  some  un 
conscious  process,  found  themselves  stretched  on  the  wide 
divan  that  ran  around  the  room.  Then,  with  the  humility 
of  an  inferior  addressing  dignitaries,  the  host  asked  per 
mission  to  order  coffee  and  pipes. 

Had  he  asked  leave  to  order  pistols  and  poison,  Meredith 
would  unhesitatingly  have  assented,  so  completely  had  he 
already  become  subjected  to  the  influence  of  the  place.  M. 
Lapierre  was  weary,  and  could  hardly  resist  the  impulse  to 
enjoy  the  opportunity  for  immediate  rest.  But  the  active 
temperament  of  M.  Trefoil  was  not  so  impressible  to  the 
soothing  and  slumbering  effects  of  an  Oriental  reception. 
He  knew  his  own  wants,  and  felt  completely  at  home.  So, 
in  the  name  of  himself  and  the  others  of  the  party,  he 
promptly  declined  any  other  refreshment  for  the  present 


EL  FUREIDIS.  287 

than  clean  linen  and  a  bath,  these  being,  as  he  declared,  the 
chief  luxury  after  a  journey. 

With  the  composure  of  one  whose  chosen  duty  it  is  to 
wait  and  serve,  Mustapha  at  once  issued  orders  in  conform 
ity  with  M.  Trefoil's  suggestion  ;  and  almost  before  the 
customary  and  mutual  inquiries  had  been  interchanged  re 
garding  the  health  and  welfare  of  the  Damascene  and  his 
guests,  the  latter  were  gravely  summoned  to  take  possession 
of  the  bath,  and  its  luxurious  appliances. 

"  I  shall  have  the  honor  of  supping  with  you  in  the  inner 
court,"  said  Mustapha,  rising  from  his  seat,  and  politely  at- 
tendin<r  his  friends  to  the  door,  where  he  saluted  each  as 

O  ' 

they  passed  through. 

The  solemn  mysteries  of  the  bath  had  been  complied 
with ;  the  ecstatic  sense  of  repose  had  supervened.  Trans 
ported,  almost  without  conscious  volition,  to  the  superb  inner 
court, — the  deserted  harem  of  the  widowed  host,  who,  despite 
the  license  of  his  creed,  was  still  true  to  the  memory  of  the 
lost  Fatimah, — the  male  members  of  M.  Trefoil's  party  had 
feasted  on  viands  of  aromatic  odor,  and  been  soothed  by  the 
drink  which  the  Arabic  poet  styles,  in  his  extravagance, 
"  the  beverage  of  the  people  of  God."  The  velvet-shod 
servants  had  advanced  and  retreated,  with  as  much  pre 
cision  as  if  to  the  sound  of  music ;  the  hands  of  the  guests 
had  been  dipped  in  rose-water,  then  folded  in  snowy  napkins, 
embroidered  with  gold ;  graceful  pipe-bearers,  dropping  on 
one  knee,  had  presented  the  jewelled  mouth-pieces  within 
reach  of  the  lips,  and  the  elysium  of  the  Oriental  was 
attained. 

The  elysium  of  Father  Lapierre,  however,  was  duty, 
moderation,  and  healthful  rest.  He  had  eaten  sparingly, 
declined  coffee  and  the  narghileh,  and  withdrawn  for  the 
night.  Meredith  had  complied  with  the  suggestion  of  his 


288  EL  FUREIDIS. 

host,  and  taken  possession  of  the  divan  of  a  curtained  alcove 
that  opened  upon  the  court.  M.  Trefoil  and  Mustapha  Os- 
man,  reclining  upon  the  dais  of  the  central  apartment,  where 
supper  had  been  served  to  them,  dish  by  dish,  were  engaged 
in  friendly  converse.  But  the  Turk  never  wastes  words  ; 
the  manufacturer  was  weary,  and  the  dialogue  was  desul 
tory,  dreamy,  and  slow.  Soothed  by  its  monotony,  by  the 
rippling  play  of  numerous  fountains,  and-  by  the  indistinct 
sounds  of  distant  music,  Meredith  fell  asleep.  He  slept 
awhile  a  dreamless  sleep,  —  then  he  awoke,  and  dreamed. 
He  dreamed  that  M.  Trefoil  and  the  Eifendi  were  gone, 
and  that  he  was  alone  in  the  enchanted  palace  which  East 
ern  Genii,  subject  to  the  will  of  Mustapha,  had  decorated  for 
Fatimah,  the  merchant's  youthful  and  beloved  bride.  From 
the  canopied  alcove  where  he  lay,  he  looked  up  at  a  domed 
ceiling,  whose  azure  tint  was  relieved  by  panelling  of  gor 
geous  arabesque,  and  draped  with  a  fretwork  of  gold.  A 
gilded  cornice,  with  delicately  carved  pendents,  ran  around 
the  walls  of  the  court,  which  was  divided  into  an  upper  and 
lower  apartment,  connected  together  by  a  noble  archway. 
From  the  former  branched  off  various  alcoves  and  recesses, 
similar  to  that  on  whose  cushioned  divan  the  Englishman 
was  reposing.  As  his  eye  ranged  up  and  down  the  lofty 
walls,  he  felt  himself  lost  amid  mazes  of  coloring,  and  bewil 
dered  by  architectural  forms.  Arches  with  fluted  pillars, 
niches  from  which  streamed  a  subdued  light,  slabs  of  marble 
and  porphyry,  on  which  inscriptions  from  the  Koran  were 
engraved  in  graceful  Arabic  characters,  light  galleries  and 
colonnades  festooned  with  the  passion-flower  and  jessamine 
in  full  bloom,  —  all  these  elements  of  beauty  assailed  his 
senses  at  a  glance,  and,  reflected  in  innumerable  little  mirrors 
inserted  in  the  wainscoting,  were  repeated  in  endless  perspec 
tive.  In  vain  did  the  imagination  attempt  to  trace  the  pat- 


EL  FUREIDIS.  289 

tern  of  the  flowers  and  scrolls  which  were  woven  in  gold  on 
the  rich  satin  of  the  divans,  or  to  evolve  the  designs  of  va 
riegated  marble  which  constituted  the  mosaic  pavement.  It 
was  enough  to  gaze  in  dreamy  wonder,  sunk  in  an  apathy 
of  Oriental  delights.  Nor  was  the  eye  alone  filled  and  sat 
isfied.  Numerous  fountains,  emptying  themselves  into  a 
central  basin,  diffused  coolness  through  the  atmosphere; 
tropical  plants,  grouped  at  the  angles  of  the  walls,  scattered 
intoxicating  odors ;  and  a  bird  —  a  nightingale,  perchance 
—  uttered  melodious  music. 

Was  it  the  rippling  of  a  new  fountain,  just  starting  into 
play,  which  now  chimed  in  with  the  other  sounds,  or  was  it 
the  light  patter  of  youthful  feet?  "Was  it  the  answering 
note  of  the  bird's  mate,  which  now  met  the  Englishman's 
ear,  or  was  it  girlish  laughter  ?  "Was  it  a  picture,  such  as 
artist  never  painted  before,  or  was  it  a  living  ideal,  which 
had  come  to  perfect  the  scene  ? 

He  looked  in  the  direction  whence  the  sounds  proceeded, 
but  saw  nothing.  Opposite  to  him,  however,  mirrored  in 
glass,  or  possibly  in  fancy,  were  two  figures,  whose  loveli 
ness,  grace,  and  picturesque  attire  harmonized  so  perfectly 
with  their  fairy-like  surroundings,  that  they  seemed  an  indis 
pensable  part  of  the  whole.  They  were  not  mere  models 
of  form  and  coloring,  for  they  were  endued  with  life  and 
motion.  Now  they  paced  slowly  along  the  railed  gallery 
which  ran  around  the  court,  then  paused  to  pluck  a  passion 
flower  or  smell  a  rose,  then  idled  on.  Meredith  watched 
them  breathlessly  for  a  moment,  then  they  were  gone. 

With  a  sudden  sense  of  loss,  he  looked  vacantly  around 
him,  and  as  suddenly  they  reappeared.  It  was  a  narrow 
strip  of  mirror  set  in  an  angle  of  the  alcove  which  revealed 
them  now,  and  this  time  Meredith  knew  that  he  saw  only 
the  reflection  of  objects,  —  distant  or  near,  he  could  not  tell. 
13  s 


290  EL  FUREIDIS. 

He  almost  felt  in  honor  bound  to  flee ;  but  whither  and  in 
what  direction,  and  why  flee  from  a  dream  ? 

They  were  descending  a  winding  staircase,  whose  balus 
ters,  wreathed  with  the  gilded  foliage  of  art  and  the  green 
twigs  of  creeping  vines,  half  concealed  their  figures.  The 
one  was  glowing  in  the  radiance  of  healthful  bloom.  The 
soft  richness  of  the  Indian,  the  pure  element  of  the  Greek, 
the  nervous  fibre  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  race,  all  revealed 
themselves  in  her  lineaments  and  motions.  She  bore  her 
self  with  that  careless  ease,  half  child-like  and  half  queenly, 
which  was  her  mountain  birthright ;  she  looked  around  her 
with  the  naive  curiosity  of  a  nature,  which,  untainted  by 
envy  or  selfish  craving,  feels  that  all  the  treasures  of  earth 
and  heaven  are  hers, — hers  in  fee  simple  through  her  power 
to  enjoy. 

The  vivid  colors  of  her  striped  Persian  skirt,  her  Zouave 
jacket,  and  her  velvet  cap,  contrasted  strongly  with  the  deep 
but  softly  blended  hues  of  the  frescos  and  mosaics  which 
lined  the  apartment ;  her  rich  complexion  and  lustrous  eyes 
made  the  scene  luminous  with  her  presence,  —  too  lumi 
nous,  but  for  the  sweet  feminine  grace  which  subdued  and 
sanctified  it. 

Her  companion  was  diminutive,  feeble,  and  pale.  Her 
dim  blue  eye  had  that  faded  aspect  which  we  might  expect 
to  see  in  one  who  had  been  long  imprisoned  from  the  light. 
Her  hair,  of  the  lifeless  color  of  desert  sand,  was  so  thin 
as  barely  to  cover  her  temples,  far  less  to  shadow  her 
high,  angular  brow.  Her  face  would  have  been  prema 
turely  old,  but  for  the  sweet,  infantile  expression  of  the 
mouth,  which,  whether  the  lips  were  in  motion  or  repose, 
always  awakened  tenderness  by  its  beseeching,  pathetic 
appeal.  She  seemed  encumbered  and  oppressed  by  the 
richness  and  weight  of  her  costume.  The  cumbrous  folds 


EL  FUREIDIS.  291 

of  her  pink  satin  trousers  were  disproportioned  to  her  slight 
figure,  and  to  the  miniature  feet  which  peeped  from  be 
neath  them.  Her  stiffly  embroidered  vest  appeared  to 
contract  her  narrow  chest,  her  slender  shoulders  bent  be 
neath  her  caftan  of  heavy  Persian  silk,  closely  interwoven 
with  gold.  The  strings  of  glittering  trinkets  and  jewels 
bound  around  her  head  challenged  pity  for  the  frail  wearer, 
and  the  taper  fingers  and  blue-veined  arms,  which  leaned  on 
the  stair-rail  for  support,  looked  more  wan  and  wasted  for 
the  jewelled  rings  and  bracelets  which  zoned  them. 

"  Lean  on  me,  Maysunah,"  said  her  stronger  friend, 
drawing  the  feeble  girl  closer  to  her.  Maysunah's  head 
sank  on  the  offered  shoulder,  and  her  low  words  of  thanks, 
uttered  in  the  melodious  and  modulated  accent  of  her  native 
tongue,  were  like  a  minor  chord,  filling  in  the  music  of 
Havilah's  pure  contralto. 

So,  with  loving  attitude  and  words,  these  playmates  of 
childhood,  mutually  happy  in  reunion,  came  down  the  stair 
way  together,  and  crossed  the  marble-paved  court.  Lost 
once  more  to  the  Englishman's  sight,  as  they  passed  beyond 
the  mirror's  narrow  scope,  he  only  beheld  them  again,  as, 
gliding  within  a  few  feet  of  his  sheltered  alcove,  they 
approached  a  heap  of  cushions,  just  outside  the  margin  of 
the  fountain.  And  now,  when  it  was  too  late  for  him  to  re 
treat,  he  became  conscious  that  the  vision  was  no  illusion, 
and  that  he  beheld  both  maidens,  face  to  face. 

"  Rest  here,  my  drooping  lily,  my  panting  dove,"  said 
Havilah,  as,  seating  herself  amid  the  cushions,  she  pillowed 
Maysunah's  head  upon  her  lap.  "  We  have  wandered 
round  the  house  too  long.  The  mountain  roe  forgot  that 
her  mate  had  been  reared  within  painted  walls,  and  that 
her  feet  were  not  trained  to  run  and  to  climb.  So,  so !  lie 
still.  Ah !  the  sweet  bird,  yonder  !  Listen,  Maysunah." 


292  EL  FUREIDIS. 

And  Maysunah  lay  still  and  listened,  —  but  not  long. 
Rest  and  song  were  less  soothing  to  her  than  the  face  of  her 
friend ;  and  presently,  raising  herself  on  one  elbow,  she  looked 
up  at  Havilah,  that  she  might  drink  in  the  refreshment  of 
her  smile,  as  the  child,  who  has  found  a  long-lost  toy,  feasts 
his  eye  on  the  recovered  treasure,  and  cannot  suffer  it  out 
of  his  sight. 

There  are  some  flowers  which,  wanting  in  beauty, 
waste  themselves  in  fragrance.  Such  was  Maysunah.  The 
deep  affectionateness  of  her  nature  exhaled  with  every 
breath.  Undeveloped,  unreasoning,  untaught,  she  could 
only  love.  The  lonely  child,  reared  in  the  desolate  harem, 
which,  since  her  mother's  death,  had  been  such  only  in 
name,  had  found  nothing  in  her  narrow  experience  to  foster 
envy,  vanity,  or  pride.  Never  conscious  of  an  outward 
want,  but  knowing  no  society  save  that  of  her  grave  father, 
and  servants  of  like  years,  her  heart  alone  had  craved  nour 
ishment.  Havilah's  visit  in  Damascus,  five  years  ago,  had 
been  the  one  living  episode  in  her  lifeless  life.  All  her 
clinging  memories  twined  round  that  solitary  event,  and 
the  return  of  her  mountain  friend  was  like  a  breeze  from 
Lebanon  to  a  desert  wayfarer. 

Such  guileless  worship,  such  unaffected  admiration  as 
she  bestowed  upon  Havilah  !  It  actually  made  Havilah 
blush ;  but  the  blush  melted  into  a  smile  when  Maysunah, 
with  unhesitating  freedom,  put  up  her  hand  to  stroke  her 
friend's  temples,  and  feel  the  soft  bloom  on  her  cheek.  It 
was  an  infantile  token  of  love,  and  the  smile  which  re 
sponded  to  it  was  tender  and  compassionate,  like  that 
with  which  a  mother  receives  a  babe's  caress.  So,  too,  it 
was  with  wondering  yet  patient  submission  that  Havilah 
watched  the  motions  of  the  child-maiden,  as,  slowly  unwind 
ing  the  long  strings  of  pearls  which  adorned  her  thin  arms, 


EL  FUREIDIS.  293 

she  knelt  beside  her  fairer  companion,  and  with  skilful 
fingers  interwove  them  with  the  black  shining  braids  of 
hair  which  were  looped  beneath  the  mountain-girl's  Greek 
cap.  And  when  the  becoming  toilet  was  completed,  and 
Havilah  saw  herself  reflected  in  the  basin  of  the  fountain, 
and  acknowledged  her  friend's  services  with  a  kiss,  May- 
sunah  clasped  her  hands,  and  gazed  with  an  ecstasy  of  sat 
isfaction  which  almost  lent  a  glow  to  her  own  dim  eye  and 
sunken  cheek. 

And  she  had  achieved  signal  success.  Meredith  had 
almost  forgotten  that  Havilah  was  so  beautiful. 

Penetrating  beyond  and  behind  those  external  charms 
which  had  first  captivated  his  senses,  and  learning  some 
thing  of  the  secret  of  that  spiritual  life  which  constituted 
her  inner  beauty,  he  had  become  less  sensitively  alive  to 
that  outward  radiance  which  was  but  the  reflection  of  a 
purer  light ;  but  now  that  she  had  burst  suddenly  upon  his 
sight,  like  the  central  jewel  of  an  Oriental  crown,  he  realized 
that,  whether  in  palace  or  cot,  alone  with  nature  on  sacred 
Lebanon  or  decked  with  the  costliest  gems  of  Persia  and 
of  Ind,  Havilah's  loveliness  could  not  be  rivalled,  nor  her 
lustre  dimmed.  It  was  the  triumph  of  youth  and  beauty, 
It  was  to  him  what  the  loadstar  is  to  the  lost  mariner,  a 
sight  to  thrill  the  heart  with  sudden  joy.  But  the  emotion 
did  not  end  here.  As  truth  is  better  than  beauty,  as  soul 
masters  sense,  as  the  mariner  looks  to  his  pole-star,  then, 
cheered  by  its  ray,  plunges  boldly  into  the  darkness,  so 
Meredith's  throb  of  homage  soon  gave  place  to  a  resolute 
calm;  a  beam  of  holy  light  shone  upon  the  night  of  his 
spirit,  and  the  star  which  he  worshipped  became  to  him  a 
guiding  star. 

"  She  speaks,"  said  he  to  himself;  "  lie  still,  my  heart,  and 
listen." 


294  EL  FUREIDIS. 

"  My  dove  is  pining  in  its  gilded  cage,"  said  Havilah, 
compassionately,  as,  drawing  Maysunah's  head  once  more  to 
her  bosom,  she  observed  the  quick  breath  that  betrayed  the 
girl's  feeble  frame.  "  Thou  must  go  with  me  to  my  moun 
tains,  Maysunah.  Thou  must  sit  beneath  the  fig-tree's 
shade,  and  drink  the  pure  wine  of  our  native  vines,  and 
smell  the  smell  of  Lebanon.  That  is  the  medicine  that 
thou  needest,  my  caged  bird.  O  say,  then,  wilt  thou  go  ?  " 

"I  should  like  it,"  murmured  Maysunah,  but  without 
looking  up. 

"  We  will  wander  among  old  ruins,"  said  Havilah,  "  and 
rest  on  flowery  banks,  and  trace  the  shadows  on  the  valleys, 
and  watch  the  sun  sink  into  the  sea  at  nightfall.  We  will 
fling  thy  muffling  veil  to  the  winds.  The  blue  sky  will  not 
be  jealous  of  thine  eyes.  We  shall  be  free  as  the  moun 
tain  breeze,  Maysunah.  Wilt  thou  go  ?  " 

"  Ah,  how  sweet  it  were  to  go !  "  whispered  Maysunah, 
pressing  Havilah's  hand. 

"  Thou  shalt  fly  with  me,  then,  thou  tender  fledgling," 
said  Havilah.  "  The  parent  bird  will  not  forbid.  We  will 
promise  him  that  thine  eye  shall  grow  bright  with  health, 
and  thy  pale  cheek  bloom  like  the  rose.  Ah,  how  happy 
we  will  be  together !  I  will  sing  to  thee,  and  talk  to  thee, 
and  cherish  thee,  my  love.  I  will  tell  thee  old  stories  of 
the  past,  such  as  the  good  father  tells  to  me.  Already  I 
seem  to  be  bidding  thee  welcome  to  my  home,  and  my 
heart  to  bound  with  the  thought,  Maysunah,  Maysunah  is 
come." 

Warmed  by  her  fresh  impulse  and  her  generous  sympathy, 
Havilah's  heart  was  truly  aglow ;  but  no  responsive  hopes 
were  awakened  in  Maysunah's  breast.  The  latter,  slightly 
changing  her  position,  so  as  once  more  to  command  a  view 
of  Havilah's  face,  scanned  her  friend's  mobile  features  with 


EL  FUREIDIS.  295 

a  sickly  smile  ;  then,  in  slow,  melancholy  accents,  said  :  "  It 
cannot,  cannot  be.  The  bird  whose  wings  have  long 
been  clipt  has  no  strength  to  soar.  I  may  not  drink  in 
health  with  the  mountain  breeze ;  I  may  not  listen  to  thy 
stories  or  thy  songs  ;  I  may  not  come  to  thy  Lebanon 
home  ;  but,  O  Havilah  ! "  and  Maysunah,  rising  with  a 
suddenness  for  which  Havilah  was  wholly  unprepared, 
threw  herself  on  her  knees,  and,  half  buried  in  the  cush 
ions,  with  hands  clasped,  and  every  feature  of  her  white 
face  strained  with  the  intensity  of  her  appeal,  exclaimed, 
"  Tell  me,  O  tell  me  of  Him  who  has  said,  '  Let  little  chil 
dren  come  unto  me ' !  " 

Startled  by  the  plaintive,  yearning  cry,  Havilah  was  si 
lent  for  an  instant;  then  answered,  "Dost  thou  remember 
Him  so  well,  Maysunah?" 

"  Remember  Him  ?  Ah !  how  could  I  forget  ?  "  was  the 
reply,  uttered  in  tones  at  once  passionate  and  childish. 
"  Has  He  not  been  with  me  all  these  years  ?  have  I  not 
found  in  Him  mother,  sister,  brother,  friend  ?  When  Mus- 
tapha  was  absent  on  the  weary  pilgrimage,  and  Fatimah- 
was  in  the  arms  of  Azrael,*  and  there  was  none  to  answer 
the  child's  lonely  cry,  O  how  then  could  she  be  deaf  to  the 
tender  call, '  Maysunah,  come  unto  me '  ?  " 

"  And  thou  earnest  ?  "  asked  Havilah. 

"  Ah !  how  could  I  come  ?  and  what  could  I  do  ?  "  said 
Maysunah,  with  a  mournful  shake  of  the  head.  "  He  was 
my  treasure  ;  but  what  was  I  ?  His  voice  has  been  to  me 
like  a  song  in  the  night,  but  I  have  had  no  power  to  answer. 
Could  Maysunah  pay  honor  to  Him,  who  was  a  stranger 
to  all  else  beside  ?  Could  the  feeble  one  exalt  the  Friend 
whom  the  rich  and  the  strong  held  in  light  esteem  ?  " 

*  The  Mohammedan's  angel  of  death. 


296  EL  FUEEIDIS. 

"  How  wouldst  thou  exalt  Him,  and  what  honors  wouldst 
thou  pay  ?  "  questioned  Havilah,  with  thoughtful  interest. 

"  My  father  has  engraved  the  commands  of  his  Prophet 
in  letters  of  gold  upon  the  wall,"  said  Maysunah,  pointing 
to  the  tablets  above  her  head,  on  which  the  precepts  of  the 
Koran  were  inscribed.  "  He  has  performed  the  sacred  pil 
grimage  to  Mecca,  and  risked  his  life  that  he  might  kiss  the 
blessed  Kaaba.  His  balances  in  the  day  of  reckoning  will 
be  found  heavy  with  good  works.  He  prayeth  with  face 
turned  toward  the  holy  shrine.  He  bestoweth  his  alms 
freely;  seeking  to  attain,  by  means  of  the  wealth  which 
God  hath  given  him,  the  future  mansion  of  Paradise.  But 
I,"  she  continued,  in  a  sad,  apologetic  tone,  as  if  humbled  by 
a  sense  of  the  mortifying  contrast,  —  "I  can  raise  no  altar  to 
my  Lord,  for  I  know  not  even  where  he  lies  entombed ;  " — 
and  her  eyes  wandered  from  side  to  side,  like  one  mazed 
in  a  wilderness.  "  I  have  no  riches  to  bestow  upon  his  ser 
vants,  and  she  dropped  her  empty  hands  upon  her  lap  ; 
I  have  no  strength  to  labor  in  his  cause,  no  power  to  add 
honor  to  his  natae,  no  offerings  to  lay  at  his  feet.  Poor,  sol 
itary,  sinful  child  that  I  am,  I  have  nothing  to  give  him  but 
my  heart ; "  —  and  as  she  spoke  tears  gushed  from  her  eyes, 
and,  covering  her  face  with  her  thin  hands,  she  once  more 
dropped  her  head  upon  Havilah's  bosom. 

"  It  is  all  he  asks, — it  is  all  he  asks,  my  precious  one,"  said 
Havilah,  folding  her  arms  tightly  around  Maysunah,  who 
was  trembling  with  agitation.  Havilah  herself  was  deeply 
moved,  and  it  was  only  after  some  minutes  that  she  could 
compose  herself  sufficiently  to  add :  "  Be  comforted,  Maysu 
nah,  sweet  sister  in  the  Lord.  Thou  art  his  by  the  seal  of 
thine  own  confession.  Pet  lamb  of  his  flock,  O  doubt  not 
that  the  Good  Shepherd  will  take  thee  in  his  arms,  and  bear 
thee  in  his  bosom." 


EL   FUREIDIS.  297 

"Lead  me  to  him,  O  lead  me  to  him,  Havilah!"  said 
Maysunah,  between  her  sobs. 

"  I  will,"  said  Havilah  ;  "  the  distance  is  not  far.  It  is 
not  hard  to  find  and  to  follow  the  master  that  one  loves, 
and  thou  lovest  him  already,  Maysunah." 

"  He  first  loved  me,"  was  the  expressive  response. 

"  And  how  knewest  thou  of  his  love  ?  " 

"  "Was  I  not  with  thee  in  the  lonely  fruit-orchard,  beside 
the  sacred  Albana,  when  the  old  man  called  us  from  our 
play,  and  we  knelt  at  his  feet,  and  he  laid  his  hand  on  our 
heads  and  blessed  us,  and  told  us  of  Hun  who  has  said, 
'  Let  little  children  come  unto  me,  for  of  such  is  the  king 
dom  of  Heaven '  ?  " 

"  And  was  this  all  ?  " 

"  Yes,  all ;  but  it  was  much  to  Maysunah.  The  learned 
and  the  wise  might  trust  to  Mohammed,  the  Meccan  law 
giver  ;  but  he  had  no  welcome  and  no  promise  for  a  weak, 
ignorant  child.  Jesus  called,  and  I  answered.  He  spoke 
once  only,  but  my  heart  answers  still." 

"  And  he  hears  thee,  Maysunah." 

"  Ah,  could  I  believe  it ! "  said  Maysunah,  her  features 
kindling  at  the  thought.  "  But,  Havilah,  he  knows  me  not. 
I  hear  his  voice,  but  I  cannot  follow  him ;  he  is  near  me, 
but  I  cannot  see  his  face.  He  has  passed  by  me,  but  I 
have  only  clung  to  the  skirts  of  his  robe.  I  have  but  kissed 
the  hem  of  his  garment." 

"  And  so  shalt  thou  be  made  whole,"  exclaimed  Havilah, 
with  enthusiasm.  "Poor,  longing,  bleeding  soul,  fear  not 
but  he  will  bind  up  all  thy  wounds." 

"  I  ask  no  other  healing,"  said  Maysunah.     "  They  have 

studied  my  disease  in  vain,  for  its  root  lies  here,"  —  and  she 

laid  her  hand  upon  her  heart.     They  have  given  me  vile 

drugs,  but  each  was  more  bitter  than  the  last ;  they  have 

13* 


298  EL  FUREIDIS. 

mixed  for  me  cooling  drinks,  but  I  was  fevered  still ;  they 
have  sought  to  cheer  me,  but  I  drooped  the  more.  And 
then,  when  my  father  wept,  I  cried :  '  There  is  a  balm  for 
me  in  Lebanon,  a  spring  among  the  mountains,  for  which  I 

thirst, an  old  man  there,  who  alone  can  save  Maysunah. 

Send  for  him,  ere  I  die.'  " 

"Dear  wanderer,  long  parched  by  the  desert  breath," 
said  Havilah,  "  thou  shalt  thirst  no  more,  for  Jesus  himself 
has  promised  that  to  them  that  are  athirst  he  will  give  the 
water  of  life  freely." 

"  I  have  wandered  in  the  desert, "  said  Maysunah,  "  but 
thou  art  my  oasis.  I  have  found  thee  at  last,  Havilah. 
Let  me  rest  now  beneath  thy  shade.  Thou  hast  within 
thee  the  well-spring  for  which  my  spirit  pants.  Bathe  me 
in  its  flood,  my  beautiful  one.  Tell  me,  as  thou  didst  prom 
ise,  the  stories  that  the  good  father  has  told  to  thee ;  but  let 
them  all  be  of  Jesus,  the  Heavenly  One,  the  Comforter." 

She  now  composed  herself  into  a  listening  attitude,  fold 
ed  her  little  hands  meekly  together,  and  lifted  up  her  dim 
eyes,  as  the  scorched  flower  lifts  its  cup  to  the  night-dew. 

And  Havilah  filled  the  thirsty  cup  to  its  brim,  —  filled  it 
gently,  drop  by  drop,  from  her  own  crystal  spring  of  truth, 
and  child  poured  out  to  child  the  knowledge  of  that  love 
which  embraces  all  the  families  of  the  earth,  which  tri 
umphs  over  sin  and  the  grave,  and  which  the  humblest 
soul  may  purchase  with  a  prayer.  And  Maysunah  drank 
the  heavenly  draught,  and  the  drooping  soul  felt  the  truth 
of  the  promise,  "  Thou  shalt  never  thirst  again.  For  the 
water  that  I  shall  give  thee  shall  be  within  thee  a  well  of 
water  springing  up  into  everlasting  life." 

And  Meredith,  —  the  once  haughty-souled  Meredith, — 
what  of  him?  How  did  he  receive  the  truth  which  is 
mighty  to  save  ? 


EL  FUREIDIS.  299 

He  listened,  as  the  child  that  is  lost  listens  to  the  voice 
that  calls  him  home ;  and  when  the  voice  had  ceased,  and 
his  dream  —  if  it  were  a  dream  —  was  over,  he  sunk  upon 
his  knees,  and  there,  under  the  roof  of  Mahomet's  disciple, 
the  man  reared  in  a  Christian  land  first  bowed  his  proud 
spirit  in  a  Christian's  prayer,  and  laid  the  required  gift  on 
the  altar  of  Him  who  had  softly  whispered  to  his  soul  that 
njght,  "  My  son,  give  me  thy  heart." 


300  EL  FUREIDIS. 


CHAPTER     XXV. 


"  AH,  my  lazy  friend !  you  should  have  been  with  us  last 
evening  at  the  cool  cafe,  on  the  shady  banks  of  the  Ba- 
rada ! "  was  M.  Trefoil's  morning  salutation  to  Meredith. 
"  I  should  have  roused  you  from  your  cushioned  slumbers 
yonder,  and  claimed  your  company  on  our  excursion,  but 
my  friend  here,  to  whom  sleep  is  one  of  the  paradises 
of  the  Prophet,  would  not  suffer  you  to  be  disturbed." 

"  It  is  an  ungrateful  office,  O  Effendi ! "  said  Mustapha, 
addressing  himself  to  Meredith,  "  to  rouse  one  from  happy 
dreams.  All  pleasures  have  their  season,  and  life  is  long 
enough  for  all.  The  clear  river,  the  cool  breezes,  the  fra 
grant  gardens,  are  equally  tempting  every  night,  —  and  the 
moon  is  young." 

"Damascus  is  always  here,  my  friend,"  exclaimed  M. 
Trefoil,  without  giving  Meredith  an  opportunity  to  reply; 
"  but  we  cannot  always  be  in  Damascus.  A  few  days' 
enjoyment  of  your  hospitality,  a  glimpse  of  your  famous 
mosques,  temples,  coffee-shops,  and  bazaars,  is  all  we  can 
hope  for.  There  is  no  time,  then,  to  be  lost,  and  the  first 
question,  therefore,  is,  How  shall  we  employ  to-day  ?  " 

"  What  says  his  Excellency  ?  "  inquired  Mustapha,  again 
appealing  to  his  English  guest. 

"  Simply  that  I  am  at  your  disposal,"  replied  Meredith. 
"Nothing  could  have  been  more  welcome  than  last  even 
ing's  repose,  for  which  I  thank  you ;  but  this  morning  I 
am  ready  and  impatient  for  a  nearer  view  of  this  enchanted 


EL  FUREIDIS.  301 

city,  which  promises  to  fulfil  all  the  fabulous  visions  I  ever 
conceived  of  the  Orient." 

"  If  it  suit  your  pleasure,  then,"  said  Mustapha,  "  we  will 
devote  the  morning  to  the  bazaars,  and  later  in  the  day 
will  adjourn  to  the  shade  of  the  more  distant  gardens  and 
fruit-orchards." 

All,  including  M.  Lapierre,  professed  themselves  satis 
fied  with  this  arrangement,  and,  M.  Trefoil  having  stipu 
lated  that  his  daughter  and  Maysunah  should  accompany 
them,  the  party  soon  sallied  forth,  the  gentlemen  threading 
the  narrow,  crooked  streets  on  foot,  the  ladies  mounted  on 
white  Egyptian  donkeys,  and  attended  by  well-dressed 
Abyssinian  slaves.  Meredith  had  no  difficulty  in  recogniz 
ing  the  fragile  figure  of  Maysunah,  in  spite  of  the  jealous 
veil,  which  partially  covered  her  form,  and,  conformably 
with  Turkish  custom,  wholly  hid  her  face.  Havilah,  with 
intuitive  deference  to  city  etiquette  and  the  habits  of  the 
household  in  which  she  was  a  guest,  carefully  obscured  her 
features  behind  the  folds  of  her  white  izan,  and  Geita,  who 
rode  just  behind  her  mistress,  made  a  compromise  between 
the  dignity  of  her  race  and  the  coquetry  of  her  nature,  by 
arranging  her  drapery  of  Syrian  muslin  in  strict  imitation  of 
Maysunah's  veil,  but  suffering  it  to  drop,  or  become  as  it 
were  displaced  by  accident,  whenever  a  street  corner  or 
crowded  market-place  afforded  an  opportunity  of  displaying 
her  twinkling  eyes  or  rosy  lips  to  advantage. 

"Who  has  not  heard  of  the  Eastern  bazaars  ?  To  whom 
is  not  the  very  word  bazaar  suggestive  of  all  that  imagina 
tion,  luxury,  art,  and  wealth  can  devise  to  tempt  one  to 
break  the  tenth  commandment  ?  And  if  the  word  itself  be 
significant,  how  much  more  so  when  associated  with  that  city 
of  palaces  and  genii,  which,  sitting  alone  between  the  desert 
and  the  mountains,  has  time  out  of  mind  been  receiving  into 


302  EL  FUREIDIS. 

its  lap  the  costly  treasures  of  countless  caravans.  To  visit 
the  Damascus  bazaars  is  to  wander  hour  after  hour  through 
interminable  avenues  of  shopman's  stalls,  from  the  rows  of 
matted  lobbies  where  inferior  articles  are  sold  and  the 
poorer  class  of  customers  welcomed,  to  the  lofty,  pointed- 
roofed,  and  vaulted  emporiums  of  jewelry,  silks,  and  pre 
cious  fabrics  of  Persian  manufacture,  —  where  the  luxuri 
ous  and  richly-dressed  merchant  squats  on  his  cushions, 
quaffs  his  sherbet,  puffs  at  his  narghileh  and  now  arid  then 
condescends  to  recommend  his  wares  to  some  citizen  pacha 
or  wealthy  Frank.  The  latter  especially  claims  his  notice. 
No  Mosaic  decree  binds  the  Moslem's  conscience,  or  forbids 
him  to  covet  the  gold  with  which  his  imagination  lines  the 
pockets  of  every  Englishman.  Thus  Meredith's  European 
dress  and  cool  indifference  of  manner  instantly  challenged 
the  cupidity  of  the  Damascene  tradesmen.  Scarcely  had 
the  group  of  sight-seers  emerged  from  the  obscurer  streets 
of  the  city  into  the  brilliant  squares  of  the  market-place, 
before  their  ears  were  assailed  by  invitations  and  entreaties, 
couched,  not  in  the  harsh  street-cries  of  Western  hucksters, 
but  in  the  alluring  poetic  phrase  of  the  Oriental. 

"Odors  that  waft  one  to  the  realm  of  the  blessed! 
Spices  that  steep  the  soul  in  visions  of  Araby,  0  Inglisy 
Effendei ! "  cries  the  vender  of  sweet  distillations  and  per 
fumes.  "  O  food  of  the  immortals !  will  his  Excellency 
pass  you  untasted  by?"  is  the  pathetic  query  with  which 
the  dealer  in  sweetmeats  addresses  the  luscious  delicacies 
spread  out  before  him.  "  Disdain  not,  O  man  of  a  sad 
countenance,  the  soul-soothing  narghileh,  whose  tube  will 
exhale  thy  melancholy,  and  whose  amber  mouth-piece  will 
whisper  to  thee  a  song  of  the  sea!"  is  the  exhortation 
of  the  pipe  salesman.  "  Slippers  for  the  feet  of  Western 
houris  !  bridles  that  will  curb  the  fiery  steed  of  El  Hejaz ! 


EL  FUREIDIS.  303 

jewels  born  to  reflect  eyes  that  we  love ! "  —  these  and  sim 
ilar  insinuating  appeals  issue  in  modulated  accent  from  the 
mouths  of  the  turbaned  merchants,  who,  seated  on  cushions 
in  the  midst  of  their  wares,  rouse  themselves  to  momentary 
effort,  then,  failing  of  a  purchaser,  sink  into  listlessness  and 
apathy. 

And  all,  or  nearly  all,  were  this  day  destined  to  disap 
pointment,  and  forced  to  console  themselves  with  the  reflec 
tion,  "  It  is  the  will  of  Allah."  A  few  weeks  ago  and  the 
Englishman  would  have  scattered  his  wealth  with  spend 
thrift  liberality,  and  distributed  his  purchases  with  equal 
indifference  ;  but  he  had  lately  learned  a  better  use  for  his 
gold,  and  the  wants  of  a  suffering  community  had  admon 
ished  him  to  take  an  account  of  his  stewardship. 

So  the  solicitations  of  the  accomplished  shopmen  were 
unheeded,  or  acknowledged  only  by  a  smile.  A  few  house 
hold  articles  purchased  by  Mustapha,  some  sugared  fruits 
and  tasteful  ornaments,  which  Maysunah  hoped  might  prove 
acceptable  to  Havilah,  and  some  additions  which  Meredith 
made  to  his  travelling  accoutrement,  constituted  the  dis 
bursement  of  the  party. 

The  entire  morning,  however,  was  consumed  in  peram 
bulating  this  gay  and  picturesque  portion  of  the  city,  which 
furnishes  the  realization  of  all  one's  visions  and  dreams 
of  Oriental  traffic.  But  only  the  pedestrians  continued 
abroad  until  noon.  Maysunah  soon  became  weary,  and 
the  mounted  portion  of  the  company,  with  their  attend 
ants,  turned  their  donkeys  in  the  direction  of  home,  to 
which  attractive  spot  the  more  vigorous  excursionists  were 
finally  glad  to  resort  for  rest  and  shelter  during  the  heat  of 
midday. 

It  was  nearly  nightfall  when  the  household  of  Mustapha 
set  forth  once  more  in  quest  of  pleasure ;  and  if  the  morn- 


304  EL  FUREIDIS. 

ing's  entertainment  was  brilliant  and  novel  in  the  extreme, 
that  of  the  evening  was  no  less  remarkable  for  romantic 
and  picturesque  interest.  A  clear,  silver  crescent  overhung 
the  city,  and  was  reflected  in  those  representative  emblems 
of  itself  which  surmounted  every  minaret  and  tower.  But 
its  light  was  not  sufficient  to  illuminate  the  labyrinth  of 
streets,  and  the  little  procession  was  preceded  and  followed 
by  servants  carrying  lamps  of  richly  colored  glass.  Other 
attendants  were  laden  with  baskets  of  cakes,  fruit,  and  vari 
ous  delicacies,  while  still  a  third  company  officiated  as  pipe- 
bearers.  The  party  were  organized  as  in  the  morning,  the 
female  portion,  in  consideration  of  Maysunah's  feebleness, 
being  mounted  on  the  well-trained  donkeys.  Their  desti 
nation  was  the  bank  of  the  Barada,  towards  which  at  sunset 
the  whole  city  invariably  throngs ;  but,  in  order  to  avoid  the 
crowd,  Mustapha  had  chosen  as  a  banqueting-place  a  kiosk 
at  some  little  distance  from  the  walls,  and  had  secured  the 
exclusive  enjoyment  of  its  privileges. 

Most  cities  have  their  pleasure-grounds,  their  parks,  their 
Elysian  fields,  but  the  gardens  of  Damascus  excel  them  all. 
Elsewhere  art  has  done  much,  but  here  nature  is  trium 
phant  ;  and  the  perfection  of  rural  scenery  is  the  character 
istic  endowment  of  the  "  Diamond  of  the  Desert."  The  spot 
of  which  Mustapha  had  made  choice  was  but  one  among  a 
thousand  such.  It  was  fitted  up  in  the  simplest  style.  A 
wooden  platform  extended  beyond  the  river-bank,  and  par 
tially  overhung  the  stream.  Its  roof  was  of  matting,  its 
pillars  were  the  untrimmed  stems  of  trees,  its  seats  a  spe 
cies  of  simple  camp-stool.  But  far  away  to  right  and  left 
stretched  a  vista  of  foliage,  fruit,  and  flowers,  groves  of  every 
shade  of  verdure,  canopying  a  smooth  green  sod,  or  an  un 
dergrowth  of  rarest  shrubbery.  Beneath  ran  the  rapid  river, 
transparent  and  cool,  refreshing  the  ear  with  its  music,  and 


EL  FUREIDIS.  305 

reflecting  in  its  waters  the  colored  lights  of  the  cafes  that 
lined  its  banks,  and  the  gay  costumes  of  the  pleasure-seeking 
multitude.  The  knotty  pillars  of  the  kiosk  were  wreathed 
with  profusely  blossoming  vines,  and  festoons  of  jessamine, 
honeysuckle,  and  myrtle  draped  the  intervening  spaces 
otherwise  open  to  the  moonlight  and  the  stars. 

Here,  regaled  with  delicate  confections,  sipping  cool 
sherbet,  or  puffing  at  the  perfumed  narghileh,  the  traveller 
feels  that  the  Oriental  may  almost  be  forgiven  for  his  faith 
in  a  sensual  Paradise. 

But  in  the  present  case  there  was  more  than  mere  phys 
ical  enjoyment  to  give  interest  and  value  to  the  scene. 
Representatives  of  various  nations  and  lands  were  met 
together  in  fraternal  relations ;  and  in  the  quiet  converse 
beside  the  rippling  stream,  the  French  missionary,  the 
cosmopolite  American,  the  self-exiled  Englishman,  and  the 
Syrian  Turk  all  bore  their  part,  and  bore  it  well,  for  all 
were  men  of  refinement,  culture,  and  experience.  So  they 
talked  of  life,  of  politics,  of  travel,  of  things  new  and  old,  of 
things  that  had  been  and  of  things  that  were  to  be.  Neither 
strove  to  exalt  his  religion,  his  country,  or  the  government 
to  which  he  owed  allegiance,  for  all  had  learned  liberality 
in  the  wide  school  of  the  world,  and  felt  that  it  was  not  act 
ing  a  becoming  part  to  shut  their  eyes  to  the  good  which 
they  could  not  deny,  or  to  criticise  the  evils  which  they  could 
not  mend.  Thus  they  talked  together  as  brethren,  united 
at  least  in  good-will  towards  each  other  and  humanity  at 
large. 

Maysunah,  released  from  her  muffling  veil,  reclined  mean 
while  in  an  obscure  corner  of  the  kiosk  on  cushions  which 
had  been  brought  thither  for  her  convenience.  She  be 
trayed  no  interest  in  the  conversation  of  her  father  and  his 
friends,  which  was,  for  the  most  part,  beyond  her  limited 

T 


306  EL  FUEEIDIS. 

comprehension ;  but  she  watched  with  childish  pleasure  the 
neighboring  groups  of  excursionists,  and  pointed  out  to 
Havilah  the  bright  reflections  on  the  stream,  and  seemed 
exhilarated  with  the  rare  enjoyment  of  the  occasion.  Havi 
lah  sat  beside  her,  responded  to  her  simple  questions,  and 
returned  her  mute  caresses ;  but  the  head  a  little  inclined, 
the  listening  attitude,  the  occasional  demonstration  of  ear 
nest  feeling,  proved  that  Havilah's  attention  was  divided 
between  the  innocent  prattle  of  her  child-friend  and  the 
graver  eloquence  of  the  Turkish  or  priestly  sage.  Once  or 
twice  she  even  left  her  place  beside  Maysunah,  seated  her 
self  a  moment  near  M.  Lapierre  or  her  father,  and  drank  in 
the  instructive  discourse ;  then,  as  if  self-reproached  at  hav 
ing  forsaken  Maysunah,  she  stole  quietly  back  to  her  side. 

Meredith  was  reminded  of  the  evenings  on  the  house-top 
in  Lebanon,  when  Havilah  fondled  the  head  of  her  gazelle 
—  fit  prototype  of  Maysunah  —  with  one  hand,  and  leaned 
her  own  head  on  the  other  while  she  lent  a  listening  ear  to 
the  conversation  of  the  assembled  circle ;  but  then  it  was 
the  grace  of  her  form,  the  rare  outline  of  her  features,  the 
sparkle  of  her  eye,  Avhich  inspired  the  Englishman's  tongue ; 
now,  Meredith  said  but  little,  —  the  young  girl's  eye  was 
no  longer  a  key  to  the  scholarly  rhetoric  of  his  brain.  He 
was  at  once  a  humbled,  a  more  silent,  and  a  wiser  man.  He 
scarcely  glanced  at  Havilah,  but  the  consciousness  of  her 
presence  was  like  a  pure  element  mingling  in  the  discourse ; 
and  when  Father  Lapierre  paid  a  tribute  to  virtue,  and 
Mustapha's  grave  features  softened  while  he  rehearsed  some 
tale  of  self-denial  or  charity,  Meredith  felt  a  sympathetic  joy 
in  the  thought,  Havilah  also  hears  this,  and  her  soul  is  made 
glad. 

So  sped  the  evening,  and  when  the  young  moon  went 
down,  the  noiseless  attendants  resumed  their  burdens,  and 


EL  FUREIDIS.  307 

the  patient  donkeys  theirs,  and,  with  scarcely  more  sound  or 
sense  of  motion  than  that  of  the  pale  crescent  at  her  re 
tiring,  the  little  party  retraced  their  way  to  the  house  of 
Mustapha. 

And  as  sped  one  day  and  night,  so  sped  every  day  and 
night  of  our  travellers'  stay  in  Damascus.  The  mornings 
were  devoted  to  tours  through  the  city,  the  evenings  to  rus 
tic  pleasure  and  social  intercourse.  The  former,  however, 
were  seldom  participated  in  by  the  entire  household.  One 
excursion  a  day  taxed  Maysunah's  strength  sufficiently; 
Havilah  would  not  forsake  her  friend ;  and,  with  the  excep 
tion  of  Meredith,  the  gentlemen  of  the  party  had  personal 
and  private  claims  upon  each  other's  time. 

Our  Englishman,  therefore,  indulged  frequently  in  solitary 
rambles,  or  availed  himself  of  whatever  companionship 
might  offer.  M.  Trefoil's  nervous  energy  in  sight-seeing 
was  soon  expended;  but  M.  Lapierre  or  Mustapha,  or 
both,  were  frequently  associated  with  him  in  his  visits  to 
citadel,  palace,  and  mosque.  The  Turkish  Effendi  was 
especially  anxious  to  familiarize  his  English  guest  with  the 
antiquities  and  attractions  of  Damascus,  and  attended  him 
with  unwearied  assiduity.  There  was  a  marked  congenial 
ity  between  the  young  man  and  his  host,  and  the  cir 
cumstances  of  their  intercourse  served  to  impress  Meredith 
with  a  continually  increasing  respect  and  admiration  for  the 
conscientious  and  upright  Moslem. 

They  visited  the  slave-market  together.  As  they  walked 
through  its  various  apartments,  and  beheld  its  chained  vic 
tims,  the  free-born  Briton  could  scarcely  conceal  his  pity, 
abhorrence,  and  disgust.  The  faces  of  the  fair  Georgians, 
at  once  anxious  and  defiant,  roused  his  chivalrous  compas 
sion.  He  burned  to  break  the  rivets  that  bound  the  swarthy 
limbs  of  iron-built  men ;  his  soul  sickened  as  he  beheld  a 


308  EL  FUREIDIS. 

diseased,  emaciated,  aged  group,  and  reflected  on  the  prob 
ability  of  their  perishing  from  neglect,  since  no  ruthless 
slaveholder  would  burden  himself  with  such  mere  encum 
brances.  In  vain  did  he  look  to  his  companion  for  some 
expression  of  sympathy  with  these  poor  wretches ;  and  as 
Mustapha  strode  from  stall  to  stall,  with  an  apparently 
unruffled  countenance,  Meredith  said  to  himself,  "  Such  is 
the  hardening  effect  of  habit." 

The  next  day,  as  he  was  passing  through  the  outer  court 
of  Mustapha's  house,  he  saw  a  litter,  which  four  sturdy  car 
riers  were  about  to  lift  upon  their  shoulders.  It  contained 
three  individuals.  One  was  blind,  the  others  crippled,  and 
all  were  wasted  with  disease.  Their  rags  had  been  ex 
changed  for  neat  apparel,  but  Meredith  at  once  recognized 
the  miserable  group  who  had  yesterday  been  exposed  for 
sale  in  the  slave-market. 

"  Who  are  these  ? "  asked  he  of  the  stately  major-domo 
who  was  superintending  their  removal. 

"Unfortunates  whom  my  master  has  purchased  at  the 
slave-market,  0  your  Excellency  ! " 

"  But  they  are  incurables,"  said  Meredith,  as  they  passed 
out  of  sight.  "  They  will  never  be  fit  for  labor." 

"  True,  your  Excellency.  But  it  is  those  who  can  serve 
no  longer  who  are  henceforth  the  charge  of  the  Lord's  ser 
vants  ;  and  '  the  Lord  is  surely  in  a  watch-tower,  whence  he 
observeth  the  actions  of  men.' " 

"  Is  there  then  an  asylum  for  these  poor  sufferers  ?  " 

"  The  house  which  my  master  formerly  occupied  in  the 
next  street  is  the  hospital  to  which  these  children  of  sorrow 
are  about  to  be  carried,"  said  the  major-domo.  "  More  than 
a  score  of  the  old  and  destitute  are  there  cherished  and 
maintained  at  the  expense  of  Mustapha." 

"  How  noble  a  charity ! "  exclaimed  Meredith ;  "  Heaven 
reward  your  master ! " 


EL  FUREIDIS.  309 

The  major-domo  gravely  pointed  to  a  slab  of  porphyry 
inserted  in  the  wall,  and  read  from  it  these  words  of  the 
Koran :  "  On  the  last  day,  every  soul  shall  find  the  good 
which  it  hath  wrought  present,  and  the  evil  which  it  hath 
wrought  it  shall  wish  that  between  itself  and  that  were  a 
wide  distance  ! " 

"  How  true  is  it,"  thought  Meredith,  as  he  walked  away, 
"  that  the  pure  in  heart  may  distil  virtue  from  an  erring 
creed,  and  that  practices  which  are  the  sinner's  temptation 
may  become  the  good  man's  opportunity." 

It  was  not  many  days  after  this  that  Meredith  chanced 
to  be  present  at  a  conversation  between  M.  Lapierre  and 
Mustapha,  which  was  in  itself  suggestive,  and  which  pos 
sessed  an  ulterior  interest  to  the  young  man,  furnishing 
as  it  did  a  sequel  to  the  dialogue  to  which  he  had  been  an 
involuntary  listener  on  the  first  night  of  his  arrival  in 
Damascus. 

M.  Lapierre,  the  Effendi,  and  Meredith  had  been  devot 
ing  some  hours  to  an  examination  of  the  Mosque  of  the 
Omeigades,  which  is,  the  most  interesting  antiquity  in  Da 
mascus,  having  passed  successively  under  the  control  of 
Roman,  Christian,  and  Saracenic  dynasties,  and  represent 
ing  in  its  architecture  superb  relics  of  each  nation  and  age. 
The  visitors  had  wandered  through  the  transept,  aisles,  and 
nave  of  the  present  temple,  had  traced  with  curious  eye  the 
long  colonnades  and  half-buried  pillars,  which  furnish  a  clew 
to  the  gigantic  dimensions  of  earlier  structures,  and  paused 
at  length  before  a  magnificent  portal  emblazoned  with  sculp 
tured  scroll-work,  and  surmounted  by  an  ancient  inscription. 

"  My  ear  is  familiar  with  the  Greek  tongue,"  said  Mus 
tapha,  pointing  significantly  to  the  tablet,  "  but  I  have  no 
knowledge  of  its  Written  characters.  Perhaps,  O  venerable 
Father ! "  he  continued,  addressing  M.  Lapierre,  "  thou 


310  EL  FUREIDIS. 

canst  illuminate  my  mind,  as  well  as  that  of  his  Excellency 
the  English  Effendi." 

M.  Lapierre  was  gazing  with  emotion  at  the  tablet.  So 
too  was  Meredith ;  for  both  had  at  once  deciphered  the  Sep- 
tuagint  inscription,  which,  engraved  there  at  some  unknown 
period,  by  some  unknown  hand,  has  survived  the  ravages  of 
superstition  and  war,  has  defied  the  heathen  and  his  gods, 
and  still  utters  its  solemn  protest  in  the  very  strong-hold  of 
Mohammedanism. 

"  Thy  kingdom,  O  Christ,  is  an  everlasting  kingdom,  and 
thy  dominion  endureth  throughout  all  generations,"  *  was 
the  solemn,  emphatic  utterance  of  M.  Lapierre,  as  he  faith 
fully  construed  to  the  ear  of  Mustapha  the  hitherto  enig 
matical  passage. 

The  Turk  slowly  withdrew  his  eyes  from  the  inscrip 
tion,  and  fixed  them  upon  the  missionary  in  grave  wonder. 
"  Thou  dost  not  deceive  me,  0  man  of  truth  ! "  he  said  in 
an  undoubting  tone.  "  As  I  would  keep  my  own  soul  spot 
less  from  a  lie,  so  do  I  trust  thine  honor.  But,  believe  me, 
only  blindness  or  ignorance  could  suffer  that  inscription  upon 
the  wall  of  a  mosque  of  Islam,  which  the  crescent  has  sur 
mounted  for  twelve  hundred  years. 

"  It  is  a  truth  which  is  written  everywhere,  my  brother," 
answered  Father  Lapierre,  mildly ;  "  but  the  eyes  of  many 
are  shut  to  it,  and  many  need  an  interpreter." 

"  Thou  art  unjust  or  mistaken,  O  aged  Father  !  "  replied 
Mustapha,  with  confidence.  "  The  cities  of  the  West  may 
build  temples  and  inscribe  tablets  to  the  prophet  of  Israel, 
but  the  lands  of  the  sun-rising  pay  sole  allegiance  to  Moham 
med,  beloved  of  Allah." 

*  M.  Y.  L.  Porter  relates  in  his  work,  "  Five  Years  -in  Damascus,"  the 
interesting  circumstance  of  his  having  translated  this  inscription  to  a 
Turkish  Effendi  who  accompanied  him  on  the  occasion  of  his  visiting 
the  Mosque  of  the  Omeigades. 


EL  FUREIDIS.  311 

"And  yet,  0  Mustapha,  in  the  courts  which  thou  fre- 
quentest  daily,  ay,  within  thine  own  dwelling,  is  a  tablet 
dedicated  to  Him  of  Nazareth,  and  written  all  over  with 
the  truth  of  his  Gospel,"  said  Father  Lapierre. 

"  How  sayest  thou  ?  "  exclaimed  Mustapha,  a  slight  flush 
of  indignation  mounting  to  his  cheek,  although  his  tone  con 
tinued  courteous  and  calm.  "  Have  I  not  ever  been  a  faith 
ful  Moslem  ?  Do  I  not  keep  ever  before  me  the  sacred 
precepts  of  the  Koran  ?  Are  they  not  written  in  letters  of 
gold  upon  my  walls  and  my  door-posts  ?  Who  then  shall 
dare  affirm  that  there  is  a  corner,  even,  within  the  house 
of  Mustapha,  dedicated  to  any  other  than  the  Meccan 
Prophet?" 

"  I  bear  solemn  witness  to  the  fact  myself,"  said  Father 
Lapierre,  in  a  rapt  and  elevated  tone. 

"  And  on  what  secret  tablet  is  it  inscribed  ?  "  anxiously 
questioned  Mustapha. 

"  On  the  heart  of  thy  child  ?  " 

The  flush  suddenly  faded  from  the  cheek  of  the  Turk,  his 
dignified  form  trembled  visibly.  With  an  eye  penetrating 
rather  than  severe,  he  gazed  into  the  face  of  M.  Lapierre, 
who  met  the  astonished  scrutiny  with  a  composure  as  serene 
as  that  of  the  Apostle  when  Agrippa  said  unto  him,  "  Paul, 
thou  art  beside  thyself." 

It  was  a  moment  before  Mustapha  could  command  his 
voice,  and  his  words,  Avhen  at  length  they  came,  were 
spoken,  not  in  anger,  but  in  the  low,  measured  tones  of  one 
whose  nature  is  stirred  to  its  depths.  "  Thou  art  skilled,  I 
know,  in  the  diseases  of  the  flesh,  O  worthy  physician,"  he 
said,  "  but  canst  thou  pierce  to  the  innermost  soul  ?  " 

"  There  are  some  diseases  of  the  body,"  answered  M. 
Lapierre,  "  which  the  soul  alone  can  reach.  In  such  cases 
human  means  avail  nothing,  and  the  skill  of  the  hakeem  is 


312  EL  FUREIDIS. 

wasted.  Have  drugs  had  power  to  heal  Maysunah,  or  nar 
cotics  to  soothe  ?  " 

"  Alas  ! "  said  the  unhappy  father,  with  melancholy  can 
dor,  "  thou  knowest  they  have  all  been  tried  in  vain." 

"  I  know  it,  and  I  will  tell  thee  why.  The  spirit  and  the 
flesh  are  at  war  in  thy  child.  Her  wasting  fever  is  an  im 
mortal  thirst.  Her  disease  has  its  root  in  the  soul." 

"  And  its  remedy  ?  "  faltered  Mustapha. 

"  Is  here ; "  —  and  M.  Lapierre  drew  a  little  volume  from 
a  pouch  in  his  black  robe,  and  placed  in  Mustapha's  hands 
a  Turkish  translation  of  the  Scripture. 

There  was  a  mingling  of  eagerness  and  superstitious 
dread  in  Mustapha's  reception  of  the  gift.  He  grasped  it 
firmly ;  handled  it  awhile  without  opening  its  covers,  as  if 
fearful  of  their  contents,  then  resolutely  turned  over  its 
pages,  and  read  a  passage  here  and  there. 

M.  Lapierre,  meanwhile,  watched  the  emotions  of  the 
Moslem,  unconsciously  influencing  him  by  the  power  of  his 
clear,  magnetic  eye.  Meredith  turned  away.  There  was 
a  struggle  going  forward  in  the  fond,  proud  heart  of  Mus 
tapha  which  it  was  painful  to  witness. 

He  was  long  in  coming  to  a  determination,  but  when  he 
did  so,  it  was  final.  Mustapha  was  not  given  to  half-way 
measures,  and  the  generous  kindliness  with  which  he  at 
length  extended  his  hand  to  the  missionary  was  in  itself 
decisive. 

"  Because  thou  hast  been  frank  with  me,  O  holy  man," 
said  he,  "  therefore  will  I  trust  thee.  Hadst  thou  made 
this  book  a  barrier  betwixt,  me  and  my  child,  then  hadst 
thou  acted  a  traitor's  part;  but  thou  hast  confided  in  me, 
and  I  will  teach  thee  that  Mustapha  is  a  man  in  whom  thou 
mayst  safely  confide;  and  because  truth  has  set  its  seal 
upon  thy  heart  and  thy  lips,  O  friend  of  the  most  high  God, 


EL  FUREIDIS.  313 

the  well-spring  from  which  thou  hast  drunk  cannot  be  false. 
I  ask  thee  not  when  or  how  Maysunah  has  tasted  of  this 
fountain,  nor  who  has  awakened  in  her  this  unquenchable 
thirst.  But  that  which  is  wholesome  for  the  child  cannot 
be  poison  to  the  parent.  Together  we  will  '  search  the 
Scriptures,'"  he  added,  aptly  quoting  from  a  passage  on 
which  his  eye  had  fallen,  "  and  see  if  they  have  in  them 
eternal  life." 

So  saying,  he  hid  the  book  in  his  bosom,  and  without 
another  word  led  the  way  out  of  the  temple. 


14 


314  EL  FUREIDIS 


CHAPTER    XXVI. 

IT  had  been  the  intention  of  our  travellers  to  devote  a 
few  days  only  to  Damascus ;  but  owing  to  the  allurements  of 
the  city  itself,  and  the  urgent  hospitality  of  Mustapha,  this 
period  was  first  prolonged  to  a  week,  and  then  one  week 
ripened  into  two.  But  the  time  at  length  came  when  the 
party  unitedly  agreed  to  resist  every  temptation  to  further 
delay.  M.  Lapierre  was  anxious  to  be  restored  to  his  flock. 
Meredith  had  never  had  enough  of  the  genuine  Oriental  in 
his  disposition  to  be  a  systematic  idler,  and  the  strong  moral 
purpose  which  had  recently  imparted  to  him  newness  of  life 
made  him  realize  more  than  ever  that  action  must  hence 
forth  be  his  only  rest.  With  the  revival  of  cheerfulness,  M. 
Trefoil  had  also  experienced  an  awakening  of  the  spirit  of 
enterprise,  and  he  began  to  comprehend  the  state  of  his 
affairs,  and  indulge  dreams  of  retrieving  his  fortunes.  No 
surplus  funds  had  been  found  in  the  hands  of  his  faithful 
consignee ;  but  the  generous  Mustapha  not  only  encouraged 
his  friend  by  advice,  but  volunteered  substantial  aid  towards 
the  restoration  of  the  fallen  silk-mill,  an  undertaking  con 
cerning  which  the  manufacturer  was  now  as  eager  as  he 
had  once  been  indifferent. 

Havilah,  petted,  worshipped,  caressed,  began  to  pine 
within  the  painted  walls  of  Mustapha's  house.  Her  heart 
warmed  tenderly  to  the  fond,  clinging  Maysunah ;  but  the 
seclusion  of  the  harem,  to  which  they  were  both  condemned 


EL  FUEEIDIS.  315 

for  the  greater  part  of  every  day,  proved  oppressive  to  the 
spirits  of  the  mountain  girl ;  the  society  of  her  young  hostess 
failed  to  satisfy  her.  For  the  first  time  in  her  life  she  expe 
rienced  the  pangs  of  restlessness  and  discontent.  She  be 
lieved,  poor  child,  that  she  was  homesick ;  she  had  faith 
that  the  air  of  Lebanon  would  work  her  cure ;  and  thus  she 
too  longed  to  be  gone. 

A  day  for  departure  was  therefore  positively  fixed  upon, 
and  schemes  of  recreation  and  professed  idleness  gave  place 
to  urgent  preparation  for  travel. 

It  was  matter  of  surprise  to  Meredith  and  the  other  gen 
tlemen  of  the  party  that  Abdoul  had  absented  himself  from 
their  presence,  and  had  not  once  been  seen  since  their  ar 
rival  in  Damascus.  It  was  true,  that  he  had  only  engaged 
to  conduct  them  thither,  and  might  have  inferred,  from  his 
abrupt  dismission,  that  his  attendance  was  no  longer  desired. 
On  the  other  hand,  it  was  not  impossible  that  he  had,  in 
pursuance  of  a  national  instinct,  gone  to  seek  his  tribe  in 
the  desert,  been  detained  beyond  his  calculations,  and  might 
yet  return  in  season  to  conduct  the  equally  dilatory  travel 
lers  on  their  return  route,  which  was  to  be  by  the  way  of 
Baalbec  and  the  famed  cedars  of  Lebanon. 

Meredith,  who  was  accustomed  to  the  youth's  services, 
indulged  the  hope  that  this  might  prove  the  case,  and  for 
bore  securing  any  other  dragoman,  in  the  faith  that  the  boy 
would,  in  some  characteristic  manner,  appear  at  the  last 
moment. 

Havilah,  had  she  been  consulted,  might  have  somewhat 
enlightened  Meredith  in  respect  to  his  servant's  haunts  and 
occupations,  for  she  had  her  suspicions,  amounting  finally 
to  a  conviction,  that  Abdoul  had  lingered  in  Damascus  or  its 
vicinity  during  nearly  their  entire  stay,  —  that  he  had  made 
himself  master  of  their  movements,  dogged  their  footsteps,  and 


316  EL  FUEEIDIS. 

played  the  spy  upon  their  actions.  In  one  instance  she 
believed,  in  another  she  was  confident,  that,  when  passing 
through  the  Arab  quarter  of  the  city,  she  had  caught 
sight  of  the  boy,  among  a  group  of  ragged  Bedouins, 
himself  shabbily  clad  and  wearing  the  constrained  and 
cringing  aspect  which  always  marks  his  race  when  in  the 
atmosphere  of  a  city.  There  was  nothing  external  to  dis 
tinguish  him  from  his  companions ;  but  the  keen,  scrutiniz 
ing  gaze  which  he  bent  upon  each  individual  of  the  party 
that  included  Havilah  betrayed  him  instantly  to  one  who 
could  not  be  mistaken  as  to  the  expression  of  that  piercing 
eye. 

In  one  solitary  instance,  when  she  was  privileged  to  ride 
with  her  father  and  Meredith  through  the  fragrant  gardens 
of  the  environs,  her  pleasure  in  the  excursion  was  marred 
by  the  consciousness  that  they  were  followed  and  watched 
by  a  mounted  Bedouin,  who  finally  shot  past  them  with  the 
speed  of  an  arrow,  and  was  recognized  by  Havilah  in  spite 
of  the  ample  kefiyeh  which  purposely  hid  his  face. 

And  once  again.  It  was  night,  and  Havilah,  seated  be 
side  Meredith,  was  leaning  over  the  rail  of  the  garden  kiosk, 
watching  the  shadows  of  the  trees  reflected  in  the  stream. 
The  position  of  both  was  accidental,  they  having  been  deserted 
by  the  other  members  of  the  household,  who,  early  in  the 
evening,  had  formed  a  group  in  that  corner  of  the  pavilion, 
but  had  now  retreated  to  its  inner  recesses,  M.  Trefoil  to 
doze  over  his  pipe,  and  Maysunah  and  her  father  to  listen 
uninterruptedly  to  some  simple  explanations  of  Christian 
truth  from  the  lips  of  M.  Lapierre.  So  Meredith  and  Ha 
vilah  were  left  to  each  other's  society ;  an  opportunity  which 
they  could  not  be  said  to  improve,  since  scarcely  a  word  had 
been  exchanged  between  them.  Neither  was  an  object  of 
envy,  for  both  were  sad.  A  little  while  ago,  and  Meredith 


EL  FUREIDIS.  317 

had  been  speaking  of  England,  and  the  necessity  of  his 
speedy  return  thither,  —  speaking  not  with  the  enthusiasm 
of  the  home-bound  traveller,  but  the  brave  determination 
of  a  man  going  forth  to  his  labor.  Nor  was  this  fortitude 
forced  or  stoical.  Work  was  no  longer  a  mere  escape 
from  self,  —  it  had  its  inspiration  and  its  ardor;  and  un 
consciously,  as  he  alluded  to  the  long-neglected  cares  of 
home,  he  spoke  with  the  manly  self-devotion  of  one  who, 
having  turned  his  back  on  happiness,  began  to  see  some 
thing  attractive  in  the  rugged  face  of  duty. 

He  began  to  see,  but  the  light  in  his  soul  was  newly  lit. 
It  illumined  the  first  steps  of  his  way,  but  no  more.  It 
gave  him  courage  to  set  forward,  but  the  distant  future  was 
still  a  dreary  blank,  and  still  his  soul  was  sad. 

His  conversation  had  been  addressed  to  the  elder  mem 
bers  of  the  company.  Havilah  had  been  only  a  listener. 
It  was  the  first  intimation  she  had  received  of  his  plans ; 
and  now,  as  she  sat  watching  the  flickering  shadows,  she 
half  forgot  that  he  was  by  her  side.  She  too  had  gone 
out  into  the  future,  and  hi  imagination  she  was  following 
him  over  sea  and  land.  The  scope  of  her  own  little  life 
seemed  suddenly  narrowed,  her  own  heart  seemed  not  large 
enough  for  her  to  live  in.  She  could  not  endure  to  think 
of  El  Fureidis.  She  feared  she  should  be  homesick  even 
in  Lebanon.  She  yearned  for  something,  she  knew  not 
what,  —  a  home,  perhaps,  hi  the  stars. 

She  was  roused  from  her  reverie  by  the  dipping  of  oars 
within  a  few  feet  of  the  spot  where  she  sat,  and  immedi 
ately  there  skimmed  past  a  flat-bottomed  boat  manned  by 
thin,  wiry,  white-cloaked  Bedouins.  It  came  and  was  gone 
in  an  instant,  —  a  weird,  ghost-like  craft ;  but  as  it  darted 
along  the  edge  of  the  kiosk,  a  dark  face  at  the  bows 
peered  for  an  instant  between  the  net-work  of  vines  that 


318  EL  FUREIDIS. 

ran  around  the  summer-house,  and  Havilah  saw  the  glow  of 
a  malicious  but  gratified  curiosity  overspread  the  face  of 
Abdoul,  as  he  reviewed  every  feature  of  the  scene  within. 

She  glanced  at  Meredith,  but  his  eyes  were  fixed  on  a 
little  cloud  passing  over  the  moon ;  he  had  not  changed  his 
position,  he  evidently  had  not  observed  the  boy;  and  on 
this,  as  on  previous  similar  occasions,  Havilah  maintained 
her  composure,  and,  though  indignant  and  alarmed,  pru 
dently  kept  her  own  counsel.  The  event,  however,  gave  a 
new  current  to  her  thoughts,  and  for  the  remainder  of  the 
evening  she  could  not  wholly  banish  from  her  mind  the  un 
defined  fears  excited  by  the  temper  and  behavior  of  the 
youth,  who  seemed  to  her  at  once  a  friend  and  an  enemy. 
She  shrank  from  confiding  her  suspicious  doubts  to  any  one, 
but  secretly  hoped  that  Abdoul  Avould  remain  in  Damascus, 
and  another  escort  be  secured  for  the  homeward  journey. 

But  with  her  knowledge  of  his  vicinity,  and  the  famil 
iarity  he  had  acquired  with  the  movements  of  her  party, 
she  was  the  least  astonished  of  the  household,  when,  on  the 
very  day  preceding  that  appointed  for  departure,  Abdoul 
presented  himself  within  the  courts  of  Mustapha,  and  so 
licited  an  interview  with  his  master,  M.  Trefoil,  and  Father 
Lapierre. 

That  the  Ishmaelite  should  appear  thus  opportunely 
might  pass  for  one  of  the  accidents  or  coincidences  of  a 
lawless  and  vagrant  life  ;  but  coming  as  he  did,  it  was  dif 
ficult  to  recognize  in  him  the  outlaw  or  the  vagabond,  for  it 
was  not  as  a  menial  or  a  hireling  that  Abdoul  now  craved 
an  audience,  but  as  an  ambassador  and  a  prince. 

.  Only  in  an  Eastern  land  could  one  accustomed  to  wait 
and  to  serve  assume  with  any  degree  of  plausibility  the  airs 
of  an  equal  and  a  lordling ;  but  the  Oriental,  of  whatever 
grade,  is  a  born  nobleman  in  all  that  pertains  to  the  exterior 


«.      EL   FUREIDIS.  319 

graces  and  courtesies  of  life,  and  Abdoul,  inured  to  hardship, 
greedy  of  gain,  and  eager  for  hire,  knew  how,  when  occa 
sion  served,  to  bear  himself  as  the  son  of  a  chieftain  and  the 
heir  of  a  boundless  realm. 

It  is  true  he  came  attended  only  by  the  same  rude  mem 
bers  of  his  tribe  who  had  lately  been  enlisted  with  him  in 
Meredith's  service,  and  a  single  veteran  Arab,  who  was  a 
more  recent  delegate  from  the  tents  of  Zanadeen ;  but  Ab 
doul  had  now  assumed  a  dress  corresponding  to  the  rank  he 
emulated ;  the  soiled  and  ragged  habiliments  of  his  com 
panions  had  been  either  superseded  or  overlaid  by  some 
attempts  at  display  and  finery,  and  the  superb  beard  and 
stately  deportment  of  "mine  uncle,"  which  was  the  title 
Abdoul  bestowed  on  his  elder  associate,  served  as  a  suf 
ficient  guaranty  of  the  latter's  state  and  respectability. 

Formal  and  tedious  were  the  introductions  and  salaams 
with  which  Abdoul  thought  proper  to  preface  his  communi 
cation  and  postpone  the  actual  object  of  his  visit.  But  the 
solemnity  and  importance  of  his  embassy  being  thus  attested, 
he  at  length  opened  his  commission  with  characteristic  grace 
and  brevity.  "Zanadeen,  sheik  of  the  mighty  Anezys, 
Prince  of  the  tribe  of  the  Kahtanide,  sends  greeting  and 
salutation  to  thee,  O  father  of  the  snowy  beard,  and  to  thee, 
O  skilful  weaver  of  silk,  and  to  thee,  O  most  excellent 
Frank,"  said  the  young  courtier,  gravely  making  obeisance 
to  each  individual  as  he  addressed  him  in  his  turn.  "  North 
east  of  the  Pearl  of  cities,  between  Kuryetein  and  Tadmor 
in  the  wilderness,  the  sheik  has  pitched  his  house  of  hair. 
Around  him,  on  every  side,  the  dwellings  of  his  people  dot 
the  plain.  Spring  smiles  on  the  desert,  the  cattle  find  pas 
ture,  the  Bedouin  rejoices  in  the  bounty  of  Allah.  The 
great  heart  of  Zanadeen  yearns  to  welcome  the  stranger, 
and  to  call  him  brother  and  friend.  The  swift-winged  mes- 


320  EL  FUEEIDIS. 

senger  of  Abdoul  has  borne  tidings  to  the  paternal  ear  that 
ye  sojourn  now  in  Damascus.  By  the  mouth  of  yon  gray- 
bearded  man,  mine  uncle,  the  sheik  sends  answer  back.  ^  0 
listen  to  his  words  :  '  Say  thus  to  the  worthy  people  who 
journey  from  Damascus  to  Baalbec :  Zanadeen,  chief  of  the 
Anezys,  prays  you  to  depart  from  the  straight  line  of  travel, 
and  honor  the  Arab  tents  with  your  presence.  Mounted  on 
the  swift  camel,  the  desert  track  can  be  crossed  between  sun 
and  sun.  The  escort  and  the  caravan  shall  be  the  care  of 
Zanadeen.  The  best  animals  of  the  tribe  already  await  you 
at  Jerud,  one  day's  journey  from  Damascus.  The  soft-paced 
dromedary  will  be  proud  to  bear  hither  so  fair  a  burden  as 
thy  daughter,  O  most  excellent  Trefoil.  The  women  of  our 
harem  will  welcome  her  with  joy,  though  her  beauty  put 
theirs  to  shame.  Our  wives  and  our  daughters,  our  sons 
and  our  warriors,  will  vie  with  each  other  to  show  hospital 
ity  to  you  all.  The  journey  may  be  to  you  the  loss  of  a  few 
days.  It  will  add  joyful  years  to  the  life  of  Zanadeen. 
With  anxiety  the  chief  awaits  your  answer.  May  it  be 
favorable  to  the  hopes  he  cherishes.  Such  are  the  words  of 
Zanadeen.' " 

As  Abdoul  finished  speaking,  he  crossed  his  arms  on  his 
breast,  and,  with  the  dignified  air  of  a  royal  diplomatist 
whose  communication  is  ended,  stood  awaiting  the  reply  to 
his  proposals. 

The  manner,  no  less  than  the  subject  of  his  mission,  im 
parted  to  it  a  grave  character,  and  seemed  to  demand  a  direct 
and  decisive  answer.  There  was  a  moment's  silence  among 
his  audience,  then  an  interchange  of  glances,  then  a  low- 
voiced  conference.  Arguments  were  adduced  in  favor  of 
and  adverse  to  the  proposition,  but  the  former  preponderated. 
It  was  unanimously  decided  that,  although  the  detour  into 
the  desert  would  prolong  the  homeward  journey,  the  pros- 


EL  FUBEIDIS.  321 

pect  of  a  glimpse  of  nomadic  life,  the  certainty  of  a  safe 
escort  to  Baalbec,  and  the  pleasure  of  gratifying  the  sheik 
and  his  son,  were  satisfactory  compensations  for  the  delay. 
Both  M.  Lapierre  and  Meredith  were  desirous  that  the 
decision  should  be  referred  to  Havilah,  but  M.  Trefoil  un 
hesitatingly  took  it  upon  himself  to  answer  for  her  in  the 
affirmative.  M.  Lapierre  was  therefore  deputed  to  signify, 
in  the  name  of  his  party,  their  acceptance  of  Zanadeen's 
proffered  hospitality,  an  office  which  the  courteous  old  man 
executed  with  a  punctilious  deference  to  ceremony  which 
served  to  enhance  the  dramatic  effect  of  the  interview. 

In  the  name  of  his  father,  himself,  and  his  tribe,  Abdoul 
acknowledged  the  compliment  involved  in  this  favorable 
decision  by  an  hyperbole  of  thanks.  The  details  of  depart 
ure  on  the  morrow  were  conducted  in  a  similar  strain  of 
mutual  deference,  and  the  youth  and  his  companions  finally 
took  their  leave,  retreating  backward  to  the  door,  and  ac 
companying  the  act  with  profound  and  repeated  reverences, 
their  demeanor  from  first  to  last  constituting  a  scene  which 
would  in  any  other  land  have  been  a  complete  burlesque  of 
courtesy,  but  which  here  among  those  habituated  to  Eastern 
manners  gave  no  occasion  even  for  a  smile. 

It  was  not  until  the  next  morning  that  any  opportunity 
occurred  of  acquainting  Havilah  with  the  new  programme 
of  adventure  which  awaited  her ;  and  even  then  her  father 
mentioned  it  with  a  carelessness  which  showed  how  little 
importance  he  attached  to  the  change  of  route.  He  was 
not  a  little  disconcerted,  therefore,  at  the  look  of  blank  dis 
appointment,  and  even  dread,  which  overspread  her  face  at 
the  announcement,  and  at  the  sudden  remonstrance  which 
escaped  her.  "  Not  wish  to  visit  the  father  of  your  old 
playmate?"  he  exclaimed  in  dismay,  for  he  had  believed 
she  would  be  attracted  by  the  novelty  of  the  excursion. 
14*  u 


322  EL  FUBEIDIS. 

"  Shrink  from  the  camel-riding  !  dread  the  loneliness  of 
the  desert !  fear  the  exposure  to  the  sun  !  That  is  not 
like  my  adventurous  girl.  I  never  had  a  doubt  but  you 
would  be  charmed  with  it  all.  But,"  continued  the  man, 
zealous  in  kindliness  and  fertile  in  resources,  "  you  shall  be 
suited  as  well  as  we,  my  daughter.  We  are  pledged  to  go, 
but  you  shah1  stay  in  Damascus.  We  will  take  the  trip 
without  you  into  the  desert,  and  return  hither  before  con 
tinuing  to  Baalbec.  That  is  the  best  plan  after  all.  Mere 
dith  will  consent,  so  will  Father  Lapierre.  They  were 
anxious  you  should  be  consulted,  but  I  was  an  obstinate  old 
fool." 

M.  Trefoil  thought  he  had  hit  upon  a  satisfactory  expe 
dient  ;  but  if  Havilah  had  instinctively  shrunk  from  his  pre 
vious  scheme,  she  was  vehement  in  resisting  this.  On  no 
account  would  she  be  separated  from  him  and  his  friends. 
Not  a  word  of  it  to  Mustapha,  not  a  hint  to  Maysunah, 
she  besought  of  him  with  earnest  entreaty.  They  would 
insist  upon  her  remaining ;  she  was  bent  now  on  the  desert 
journey.  Her  father  was  puzzled,  but  coaxed  into  a  state  of 
satisfied  bewilderment,  and  brought  to  declare,  patting  her 
on  the  cheek,  that  he  could  not  comprehend  such  an  incon 
sistent  little  woman,  who  neither  wished  to  go  nor  to  be  left 
behind  ;  but  that  she  should  have  her  way,  if  she  could  find 
out  what  it  was.  And,  fearful  now  of  being  left  in  Damas 
cus,  Havilah  no  longer  suffered  her  way  to  be  a  matter  of 
question.  Her  way  was  the  way  of  her  party. 

Maysunah  was  overwhelmed  with  childish  grief  at  the 
parting,  her  only  consolation  being  in  the  hope  of  return 
ing  Havilah's  visit  before  many  months.  The  sick  girl's 
health  was  already  improving,  and,  with  a  view  both  to 
her  happiness  and  her  complete  restoration,  her  father  had 
promised  that,  before  the  summer  was  past,  he  would  bring 
her  with  him  to  the  Lebanon. 


EL  FUEEIDIS.  323 

"  I  shall  look  for  you  with  longing  eyes,  my  white  dove," 
said  Havilah,  as  they  took  a  farewell  embrace  within  the 
inner  court.  "  Come  quickly,  and  stay  long  ;  I  shall  yearn 
for  your  sweet  company ;  I  shall  be  alone,  all  alone ; "  — 
and  Havilah  burst  into  tears. 

Maysunah  had  been  weeping  for  hours,  but  she  dried  her 
own  tears  to  wipe  away  those  of  her  friend,  and  felt  herself 
grow  and  expand  in  the  thought  that  she  was  destined  to 
fill  a  void  in  Havilah's  heart,  little  dreaming,  simple  child, 
that  Havilah  was  already  weeping  less  for  her  than  at  the 
presentiment  of  a  loss  which  all  Maysunah's  love  would  be 
powerless  to  repair. 

But  no  tears  were  on  Havilah's  face,  no  hesitation  in  her 
step  or  air,  when,  bidding  adieu  to  the  hospitable  roof  of 
Mustapha,  she  mounted  her  horse  amid  an  assembled  reti 
nue.  If  she  had  fears,  she  silenced  them.  She  looked 
around  her  with  apparent  confidence,  sat  erect  in  her  saddle 
with  the  proud  air  of  one  who  defies  danger,  waved  her 
hand  gracefully  to  her  host,  and  smiled  kindly  upon  Abdoul. 
The  boy's  handsome  face  glowed  and  his  heart  swelled  with 
vain  rapture  as  he  returned  the  salutation  of  his  queen,  and, 
springing  upon  his  white  mare,  realized  that  he  was  no 
longer  a  servant,  but  the  leader  of  the  well-accoutred  pro 
cession  which  was  setting  forth  on  the  route  of  the  Palmyra 
caravans. 


324  EL  FUKEIDIS. 


CHAPTER    XXVII. 

THE  first  day's  journey  was  performed  on  horseback. 
The  road  lay  for  three  hours  through  the  beautiful  subur 
ban  gardens  watered  by  the  Barada  and  its  canals,  then 
stretched  away  between  the  base  of  Anti-Lebanon  on  the 
left  and  a  boundless  plain  on  the  right,  melting  into  the 
distant  horizon.  As  the  path  at  times  crossed  the  lower 
spurs  of  the  mountain,  the  plain  presented  to  the  traveller's 
eye  a  scene  of  varied  and  indescribable  beauty,  —  varied 
as  the  unreal  visions  of  childhood,  indescribable  as  the  pleas 
ures  of  a  happy  dream ;  for  the  sun  played  deceitfully  over 
the  prospect,  and  fair  islands,  bright  gardens,  lakes  with 
rippling  surface,  and  streams  with  emerald  shores,  —  all 
were  the  effect  of  the  magic  mirage.  But  it  was  not  yet 
the  genuine  desert  travel.  There  were  ravines  to  be 
crossed,  and  villages  to  be  encountered,  and  occasional 
glimpses  yet  to  be  seen  of  stationary,  if  not  civilized  life. 

A  short  time  only  was  allotted  for  lunch  at  a  little  Arab 
village,  and  by  means  of  diligent,  and  at  times  rapid  rid 
ing,  Jerud,  the  halting-place  for  the  night,  was  reached  at 
sunset. 

The  camels  and  escort  promised  by  Sheik  Zanadeen  had 
already  arrived.  As  Abdoul  proudly  led  the  way  through 
the  principal  street  of  the  village,  he  exchanged  frequent 
salutations,  not  only  with  the  inhabitants  of  the  place,  who 
knew  him  well,  but  with  several  gayly  dressed  members  of 


EL  FUREIDIS.  325 

his  tribe,  who  were  loitering  there  evidently  in  anticipation 
of  the  guests.  As  their  tribe  was  on  friendly  terms  with 
the  sheik  of  the  district,  they  had  been  freely  admitted  with 
in  the  gates ;  but  their  camels  were  picketed  outside,  in  the 
direction  of  the  desert.  The  Aga,  or  Governor,  who  main 
tained  his  court  at  Jerud,  came  forth  from  his  house  to 
welcome  the  travellers  and  proffer  his  hospitality;  but  the 
confusion  that  prevailed  in  his  court-yard,  which  constituted 
a  sort  of  military  outpost  for  the  protection  of  the  desert 
frontier,  was  such,  that  his  invitation  was  declined,  and,  in 
accordance  with  Abdoul's  movement,  the  party  rode  out  of 
the  village  by  the  gate  opposite  to  that  through  which  they  had 
entered,  and  chose  a  place  of  encampment  near  a  little  foun 
tain,  around  which  the  camels  were  already  grouped.  The 
travellers  were  now  on  the  borders  of  the  desert,  were 
already  the  guests  of  the  Arabs,  and  were  surrounded  by 
evidences  of  nomadic  life.  Swarthy  Bedouins  were  passing 
to  and  fro,  with  the  free  step  and  confident  air  which  these 
sons  of  the  wilderness  assume  the  moment  they  are  on  their 
undisputed  territory.  Camels  were  stretching  their  long 
necks  and  intruding  their  withered  faces  within  the  tents. 
An  Arab  boy,  outside,  was  pounding  coffee-beans  in  a  wooden 
mortar,  skilfully  beating  time,  and  thus  making  a  rude  sort 
of  music,  with  his  pestle. 

Abdoul  seemed  transformed  into  a  new  creature.  It  was 
hard  to  recognize  in  him  the  shy  being,  who,  with  his  head 
on  his  breast,  his  arms  folded,  and  his  countenance  dejected, 
shrunk  from  the  eye  of  man.  Now  he  walked  erect,  with  a 
swift,  springing  gait,  or,  vaulting  lightly  into  his  saddle, 
bounded  over  the  fields  leading  to  the  village,  busily  exe 
cuting  some  voluntary  errand,  or  spurring  on  some  lazy 
comrade  who  had  failed  to  execute  an  order. 

The  whole   expression  of  the  young  Arab's  face  was 


326  EL  FUREIDIS. 

changed.  He  had  gained,  or  nearly  so,  the  height  of  his 
ambition.  Elevated  now  to  a  position  of  authority  and 
honor,  he  served  his  guests  with  amiability  and  zeal.  His 
better  nature,  crushed  by  jealousy  and  mortification,  ap 
peared  to  expand  under  the  influence  of  new  responsibilities 
and  hopes.  Even  his  jealousy  seemed  satisfied,  now  that 
he  believed  himself  an  equal  in  the  contest,  and  breathed 
what  he  felt  to  be  an  atmosphere  of  fair  play.  It  was  im 
possible  to  suspect  so  unsophisticated  a  youth  of  sinister 
designs,  or  to  believe  so  true  an  Arab  would  ever  violate  the 
sacred  laws  of  hospitality.  Havilah,  ashamed  of  her  late 
suspicions,  saw  in  him  once  more  the  brother  of  her  child 
hood,  reposed  in  him  an  involuntary  trust,  and  never  in  her 
life  slept  a  more  undisturbed  sleep  than  on  that  first  night 
upon  the  border  of  an  unknown  desert,  surrounded  by  a 
Bedouin  guard. 

The  silence  and  repose  of  the  desert  are  not  shared  by 
its  people.  The  Arabs  are  proverbially  a  noisy,  excita 
ble  race.  Especially  when  they  have  a  journey  in  view, 
or  work  of  any  sort  on  hand,  they  accompany  their  labors 
with  such  a  storm  of  shrieks,  vituperations,  and  harsh  gut 
tural  dialogues,  as  would,  among  any  other  population,  be 
token  an  excess  of  fuiy  and  anger.  There  seemed  to  be  a 
remarkably  good  understanding  between  Abdoul  and  the 
escort  of  which  he  was  chief.  Still  the  occupants  of  the 
tents  were  disturbed  at  daybreak  by  a  volley  of  threats, 
exclamations,  and  epithets,  which  elsewhere  could  only 
have  been  equalled  by  a  rebellious  soldiery  or  a  crew  of 
mutineers.  Fortunately,  strangers  as  they  were  in  the  des 
ert,  our  travellers  knew  enough  of  Arab  life  and  manners  to 
understand  that  these  noisy  demonstrations  were  a  neces 
sary  feature  of  an  early  morning  start ;  and  that  the  camel- 
drivers  and  attendants,  who,  wrapt  in  their  cloaks,  had  slept 


EL  FUEEIDIS.  327 

all  night  on  the  hard  ground,  were  merely  exercising  their 
lungs  in  a  familiar  style  of  oratory. 

Thus  the  "  Yakh !  yakh !  hai !  hai ! "  with  which  they  shout 
ed  to  their  camels,  and  the  "  Yullah !  yullah !  wallah!  wallah ! " 
with  which  they  prefaced  every  remark  to  each  other,  cre 
ated  no  more  alarm  than  the  crowing  of  energetic  cocks  in  a 
farm-yard,  while  the  oaths  and  personal  abuse  with  which 
they  discussed  their  differences,  (for  the  most  friendly  Arabs 
will  quarrel  on  every  question,  and  argue  every  point,)  sim 
ply  signified  to  the  initiated  that  the  daily  conflict  of  opinion 
had  begun,  and  that  when  it  was  concluded  the  caravan 
would  start. 

Long  before  the  agitation  was  allayed,  the  guests  of  the 
party  were  ready  and  impatient  to  mount,  for  the  sweet, 
keen  air  of  the  desert  is  the  traveller's  inspiration  ;  and 
though  the  sun's  rays  beat  fiercely  on  his  head,  they  serve 
only  to  kindle  a  proportionate  ardor  and  an  intenser  sense 
of  joy. 

"  Hateful  old  camel !  cruel,  scorching  sun !  lonely,  tedious 
journey ! "  whispered  M.  Trefoil  to  his  daughter,  in  a  tone  of 
waggish  irony,  and  rubbing  his  hands  in  high  glee.  Havi- 
lah  was  standing  beside  the  dromedary  intended  for  her  use. 
"With  a  smile  of  gratified  surprise,  she  was  surveying  the 
travelling  equipment,  her  eye  glancing  from  the  embroid 
ered  saddle-cloth,  with  its  deep  worsted  fringes,  silken  tas 
sels,  and  ornaments  of  shells,  to  the  wide-spreading  shug- 
duf,  or  cushioned  frame-work  placed  across  the  animal's 
back,  and  surmounted  by  a  little  silken  canopy. 

Abdoul,  meanwhile,  held  the  submissive  creature  by  the 
head,  and  was  gurgling  in  its  ear  the  "  Ikh !  ikh  ! "  by  which 
persuasive  term  the  desert  camel  is  invariably  taught  to 
kneel.  M.  Trefoil  had  not  misinterpreted  the  animated 
glow  that  had  been  called  up  in  Havilah's  face  by  the  nov- 


EL  FOQDIS. 

elry  and  exdteinent  of  the  moment.  She  responded  to  her 
fjlBLi>  •¥•111  i  by  looking  over  her  shoulder,  her  mce  rip- 
pfiag  widt  a  sadle,  which  betrayed  a  quick  comprehenaon 
of  dK  sarcasm;  tbou  phci^  her  foot  beade  that  of  Abdoul, 
OB  A*  neck  of  die  now  prostrate  dromedary,  she  sprung  into 
her  snog  parihan,  and  her  smile  broke  into  a  peal  of  girlish 
fcui^er.  as  die  at  the  same  moiaent  eangbt  agbt  of  Geixa, 
randy  attempting  to  mount  her  camel,  and  making  wrj 
moade  at  the  scowling  Arab,  who  was  gntficnfarting  at  her, 
and  shrieking  in  die  ear  of  her  beast. 

-Look  there  !*  excfetimed  M.  TrefoiL  wirn  increased  hi- 
krfiy,  mdgh^  Meredid^s  elbow,  and  pointing  to  HavHah, 
•a  aanile  oneonseionsBeaB  how  little  tln»  Tj»oKslin»aii  fm^f 
eyes  for  anything  eke  when  she  was  present.  *  See  tint 
emld  now  in  her  nest  of  shawk, — a  butterfly  among  roee- 
leares!  Why,  she  k  in  her  element;  and  she  tried  to  per- 
svade  me  that  ^ie  dreaded  the  expedition!  A  gbT*  sub- 
ternge,— I  knew  it  aD  the  wbUe!"— andthe  sdf-ati^ed 
parent  trotted  ofi;  and  commenced  the  difieoJt  task  of  dhnb- 
•g  «p  the  ade  of  his  own  desert  ship. 

*  She  langhs  !3  thought  MerafiA,  generoody  rejokmg  in 
the  mtmal  outburst.  *  I  hare  not  heard  her  laugh  before 
once  her  •other  died; "— anal  he  Cdt  his  own  heart  grow 
hghter,  as  afl  •atans  seemed  to  him  to  echo  fbf  menr 
peaL 

"She  hmghs,-  and  Abdool  to  himseh^  with  secret  ex- 
The  desert  hasgrren  taA  anfles  to  the  Leba 
Base.    She  ciniet  mnae  with  her  to  die  tents  of 

••«•>     1*K*IHBUU*^^    O^MJU     UKv    JaWCCy    MAaU.    ^IBVWUl^ 

waving  las  phoned  hmee  orer  hb  head,  the  seK-deloded 
yomh  led  die  way,  as  he  befiered,  to  scenes  of  yet  deeper 

tardier*  agree  respecting  the  effect  of  de»- 


EL  FEKDDBL 


ert  journeying.    Afl  bear  testimony  to  that ' 

of  the  air,  which  quickens  the  sense 

derates  the  spirits,  and  dnfnses  through  the  whole 

sense  of  increased  vitality.    ~  Hence  it  is/*  says 

Burton,  after  oal»giiing  at  length  the  moral  and  physical 

benefits  of  this  species  of  travel,  *  that  the  j 

well  as  the  most  imujinliii   minds,  the 

most  peaceful  student,  the  spoiled  ehfli  of  emulation,  all 

feel  their  hearts  difaue,  and  their  pulses  beat  strong,  as  they 

looBr  dowTQ  ITPBI  ^*p^*rr  dRMBoduVics  VDOD.  toe ' 

ert."    Hence  it  is,  we  may  add,  that  the  eye 

weary  of  •  ••••«fc  nose  objects,  whether 

wbkh  may  chance  to  stand  out  in  the 

htion,  then*  remoteness  or  rarity  being 

for  by  the  intensity  of  a  sharpened  via 

nothing  is  dwcrnnoie  save  the  bine  sky  above,  and  the 

»  m 

&auu^    or   jEnntHBtrewn,    exDanse  oeneatn.  tne  sout  jdouia 

treadtttg  *a  haggard  bund.  mfrMffl  with  wild  ItcastB  and 
wilder  men, — a  region  whose  very  fountains  murmur  the 
warning  words,  -Drink  and  away.'  Thus,"  to  quote  atiR 
iurHHTj  •*  man,  mcaHUiiing  his  puny  force  with  nature's 
— .-'--..  u:-.ifr>:^-ii  :i;  Ar.uV;  7r;ver:.  'YojUgiBg  :?  i 
rictory.'* 

To  our  excursionists.  |M  IK  li  iling,  but  one  day's 
into  the  Syrian  desert,  and  that  fen 
of  a  powerful  escort,  there  was  all  the  stimulus  which 
be  derived  from  the  wild,  the  picturesque,  the 
mixed  with  any  reasonable  cause  of  apprehension  or  < 
Still,  it  added  not  a  fittfe  to  the  romantic  character  of  the 
expedition,  that  Abdoul  nought  proper,  at  mterrals,  to  dart 
away  from  his  pace  at  the  head  of  the  caravan,  mount  some 
fittfe  elevation,  and  gaze  abroad  with  the  keen  eye  of  a 


330  EL  FUEEIDIS. 

scout.  The  print  of  a  camel's  hoof  in  the  sand,  or  a  crop 
ped  blade  of  grass  in  those  spots  where  a  scanty  herbage 
had  thrust  itself  through  the  hard  ground,  was  sufficient 
to  excite  the  youth's  suspicions,  and  put  him  on  the  alert. 
There  was,  perhaps,  some  little  affectation  in  his  proceed 
ings,  some  assumption  of  weighty  authority,  some  desire  to 
display  his  graceful  person  and  excellent  horsemanship ; 
but  it  almost  invariably  proved  the  case  that  his  quick 
intelligence  had  acted  as  a  telegraph,  or  his  sharp  eye  as 
a  telescope.  Now,  his  suspicions  were  confirmed  by  the 
abrupt  appearance  of  a  little  company  of  Bedouins,  emerg 
ing  from  a  neighboring  hollow,  and  surprising  all  the  party 
save  Abdoul,  who  seemed  quite  prepared  for  their  approach, 
gave  them  a  friendly  greeting,  and  suffered  them  to  pass 
unchallenged.  Now  he  suddenly  spurred  his  mare  across 
the  plain,  one  hand  grasping  his  dagger,  the  other  causing 
his  long  lance  to  quiver  above  his  head,  in  preparation  for 
a  stroke.  He  seemed  to  be  rushing  Avith  Quixotic  zeal 
against  an  imaginary  foe ;  but  the  eyes  that  followed  him 
were  not  long  in  discerning  a  couple  of  horsemen,  who 
were  bearing  down  upon  the  youth  from  an  opposite  direc 
tion,  their  pointed  muskets  and  vehement  gesticulations 
alarming  the  caravan  for  the  safety  of  their  champion, 
who  might  be  exposed  to  some  merciless  enemy  or  hered 
itary  blood-feud. 

As  the  parties  met,  however,  and  the  new-comers  un 
covered  their  faces,  purposely  hid  until  now  by  their  kefi- 
yehs,  weapons  were  lowered,  angry  gestures  gave  place  to 
salutations,  threats  to  embraces.  Mutual  inquiries  were  ex 
changed  between  the  young  chieftain  and  these  emissaries 
of  a  friendly  tribe,  then  the  former  wheeled  around  and 
gravely  returned  to  his  post ;  the  latter,  without  approaching 
the  strange  caravan,  pursued  their  course  in  one  of  those 


EL  FUREIDIS.  331 

diagonal,  trackless  lines,  with  which,  ever  since  the  days  of 
Ishmael,  his  roving  descendants  have  been  wont  to  intersect 
the  desert. 

These  and  similar  incidents  alone  marked  the  day.  As 
no  oasis  of  verdure,  not  a  tree,  nor  even  a  shrub,  offered  its 
tempting  shade,  no  halt  was  made  at  noon.  Lunch  was 
taken  in  haste,  without  dismounting,  and  the  journey  pro 
gressed  uninterruptedly.  Towards  sunset  our  party  be 
gan  to  perceive  symptoms  of  an  inhabited  district.  Horse 
men,  singly  or  in  groups,  frequently  hove  in  sight ;  in  some 
instances,  they  approached  sufficiently  near  to  exchange  a 
signal  with  Abdoul;  in  others,  they  were  satisfied  with 
careering  around  the  caravan  in  a  Avide  circle,  taking  a 
distant  observation,  and  then  galloping  off  in  the  direction 
the  travellers  were  pursuing.  At  length  a  low,  dark  line 
was  discernible  against  the  horizon ;  a  few  moments  more, 
and  the  black  tents  of  Zanadeen's  tribe  were  clearly  visible, 
mere  specks  in  the  floating  cloud  of  animal  life  which  en 
compassed  them,  and  which  constituted  the  wealth  of  this 
pastoral  people.  Soon  the  outposts  of  the  encampment 
were  gained,  and  the  procession  was  winding  amid  groups 
of  camels,  picketed  at  a  distance  from  the  tents,  at  whatever 
points  the  spare  herbage  might  serve  the  patient  animals 
for  pasture.  Here  and  there,  slender,  graceful-formed  Arab 
girls  were  returning  from  their  milking  excursions  with  pails 
of  foaming  milk  upon  their  heads,  and  shepherds  were  call 
ing  in  their  docile  flocks,  which  followed  obedient  to  the 
voices  of  their  masters.  These  indications  of  nomadic  life 
became  more  frequent  at  every  step  of  our  travellers'  pro 
gress,  until  at  length,  as  they  approached  the  central  point, 
towards  which  men  and  flocks  alike  converged,  they  found 
themselves  amid  "  one  vast  forest  of  camels,  with  a  dense 
underwood  of  sheep  and  goats." 


332  EL  FUBEIDIS. 

Numerous  as  were  the  dwellings  of  this  great  Anezy 
tribe,  their  numbers  were  disproportionately  small  to  those 
of  their  flocks  and  herds,  and  the  latter  would  to  a  great 
degree  have  obscured  the  former,  had  it  not  been  for  the 
favorable  site  which  in  this  instance  had  been  selected  for 
the  "houses  of  hair."  They  stood  on  a  slight  eminence, 
which  commanded  the  entire  plain,  and  were  arranged  in 
the  form  of  a  crescent,  their  fronts  religiously  turned  towards 
Mecca.  The  house  of  Zanadeen  possessed  no  advantage 
over  those  of  the  inferiors  of  the  tribe,  except  that  it  was 
somewhat  larger,  was  profusely  adorned  with  tassels,  shells, 
and  fringe,  and  possessed  a  sort  of  supplementary  tent  or 
harem.  In  accordance  with  Arab  notions  of  hospitality,  it 
was  placed  at  the  extremity  or  horn  of  the  crescent  nearest 
to  the  quarter  whence  the  approach  of  guests  might  be 
anticipated,  and  thus,  almost  before  they  realized  its  vicinity, 
the  party  of  visitors  halted  at  the  very  door,  and  in  the  very 
presence,  of  their  host. 

Zanadeen,  who  had  been  duly  informed  of  their  approach, 
received  them  with  patriarchal  dignity.  The  old  man  was 
seated  on  a  strip  of  Persian  carpet,  spread  before  the  en 
trance  of  his  tent  His  appearance  was  venerable  in  the 
extreme.  His  spare  form  was  bent  with  years  ;  his  snowy 
beard,  reaching  below  his  breast,  rivalled  that  of  M.  La- 
pierre ;  but  his  brilliant  silk  robe,  his  scarlet  cloak,  the 
heavily  fringed  kefiyeh  bound  around  his  white  turban, 
imparted  to  the  veteran  Bedouin  a  wild  and  picturesque  air. 
His  deep-set  eye  was  as  keen  and  restless  as  that  of  his  son ; 
and,  surrounded  as  the  sheik  was  by  his  nearest  relatives 
and  most  distinguished  men,  it  was  easy  to  recognize  in  him 
the  chief  dignitary  of  the  tribe. 

Whatever  might  be  Zanadeen's  pride  and  ambition  as  a 
host,  all  emotions  were  superseded  for  a  moment  by  the  joy 


EL  FUREIDIS,  333 

with  which  he  welcomed  back  that  frequent  truant,  AbdouL 
The  meeting  between  the  father  and  son  was  truly  affecting. 
Almost  before  the  other  members  of  the  party  had  come  to 
a  halt,  the  youth  had  sprung  from  his  saddle,  thrown  his 
arms  round  the  sheik's  neck,  and  kissed  him  on  either  cheek, 
a  caress  which  was  reciprocated  with  equal  ardor ;  and  then, 
holding  the  boy  by  both  hands,  and  with  difficulty  refrain 
ing  from  tears,  the  old  man  uttered  brief  and  anxious 
inquiries  concerning  his  son's  health  and  welfare.  Other 
members  of  the  tribe,  young  and  old,  stood  ready  to  strike 
palms  with  the  young  chief,  and  receive  him  to  their  em 
braces  ;  and  while  these  affectionate  demonstrations  were 
going  forward,  Zanadeen  turned  to  bestow  a  greeting  on 
his  guests.  "  Marahabbah ! "  (You  are  welcome  !)  "  Allah 
kerym !  "  (The  Lord  is  gracious  !)  and  many  similar  excla 
mations  of  good-will  and  thanksgiving,  met  the  ears  of  the 
travellers,  as  one  after  another  they  alighted  on  the  carpet 
at  the  tent-door;  and  the  words  of  courtesy  and  kindness 
were  caught  up  and  echoed  by  the  swarthy,  curious-eyed 
crowd,  until  the  air  rang  with  the  acclaim. 

Most  reverential  and  flattering  was  the  sheik's  reception 
of  Havilah.  As  her  feet  touched  the  ground,  the  old  man 
laid  his  hand  on  his  heart,  and  bent  before  her  until  the  tip 
of  his  beard  nearly  swept  the  carpet  "  Selamet,  ya  meleky, 
selame,  ya  syt ! "  (Welcome,  queen  !  welcome,  madam !)  were 
the  first  words  of  his  salutation,  succeeded  by  compliments 
uttered  in  such  a  high-flown  strain  as  to  call  the  rich  blushes 
into  the  young  girl's  cheek.  "  My  heart  melts  at  the  sight 
of  thy  beauty,  O  fair  one  !  Thou  art  one  of  the  visions  of 
Paradise.  Thou  hast  come  to  my  soul  in  dreams.  The 
planets  of  heaven  borrow  their  light  from  thine  eyes."  Such 
was  the  hyperbole  of  praise  which  he  poured  forth,  until 
Havilah,  modestly  recoiling  both  from  the  old  man's  profuse 


334  EL  FUREIDIS. 

flatteries  and  the  gaping  admiration  of  the  Bedouin  crowd, 
was  glad  to  take  refuge  in  the  harem  of  the  sheik,  to  which 
he  at  length  conducted  her. 

The  Bedouin  harem  is  at  once  the  storehouse,  kitchen, 
bedroom,  and  nursery  of  the  household.  That  of  Zanadeen 
consisted  of  strips  of  black  goafs-hair  cloth,  stretched  from  a 
central  pole  to  several  similar  supports,  arranged  so  as  to 
form  a  square.  Around  the  central  staff  huge  jars  of  honey 
or  dates,  wheat-sacks,  coffee-bags,  and  other  family  stores, 
were  stacked  in  a  pyramidal  form.  Close  to  this  promiscu 
ous  heap  was  placed  a  strip  of  carpet,  which  constituted  the 
seat  of  honor.  The  remaining  space  which  the  tent  afforded 
was  devoted  to  culinary  and  other  domestic  uses.  In  one 
corner,  a  wrinkled  hag,  dressed  in  a  long  blue  robe,  and 
with  a  black  handkerchief  bound  around  her  head,  was  lean 
ing  over  a  smoking  caldron ;  near  her  were  two  young 
women,  one  of  whom  was  pounding  wheat  in  a  copper  mor 
tar,  and  the  other  baking  thin  cakes  upon  a  heated  iron  pan. 
All  three  looked  up  eagerly  at  Havilah  as  she  entered,  but 
none  of  them  ceased  their  operations,  or  came  forward  to  bid 
her  welcome.  The  reception  was  reserved  for  the  presid 
ing  genius  of  the  place,  a  tall,  well-formed  woman,  who 
stood  near  the  heap  of  stores,  from  which  she  had  been  deal 
ing  out  portions  to  her  subalterns.  This  was  the  favorite 
wife  of  the  sheik,  and  the  mother  of  Abdoul.  The  withered 
hag  in  the  corner  had  formerly  boasted  the  rank  and  favor 
now  enjoyed  by  another.  Her  two  sons,  also,  had  once 
been  the  hope  of  Zanadeen,  but  one  had  been  killed  in  a 
foray,  one  died  on  a  desert  march,  and  their  mother  had 
lived  to  be  dethroned  by  a  younger  bride,  and  to  see  her 
rival's  son  the  star  and  boast  of  his  tribe.  The  beauty  of 
the  present  pride  of  the  harem  was  already  on  the  wane ; 
but  she  had  fulness  and  dignity  of  person ;  her  eyes  were 


EL  FUREIDIS.  ,335 

large  and  lustrous ;  her  lips,  punctured  and  stained  with  a 
blue  dye,  were  compressed  and  haughty  ;  her  whole  mien 
was  indicative  of  conscious  power,  and  her  bright-red  kefi- 
yeh,  her  armlets  and  anklets  of  colored  glass,  and  a  heavy 
silver  ring  worn  in  her  nose,  suggested  a  love  of  savage 
finery. 

Her  reception  of  Havilah  Avas  a  strange  mingling  of 
boldness,  curiosity,  and  awe.  She  unhesitatingly  took  her 
young  visitor  by  the  hand,  drew  her  within  the  tent,  and 
invited  her  to  take  a  seat  on  the  carpet;  then,  squatting 
down  beside  her,  scrutinized  her  dress,  her  features,  and 
her  behavior  in  silence. 

But  impressed  as  the  sheik's  wife  was  by  a  loveliness  and 
refinement  which  surpassed  all  her  preconceived  ideas,  in- 
quisitiveness  soon  got  the  better  of  veneration,  and  she 
commenced  handling  the  material  of  Havilah's  dress,  scarf, 
and  shoes,  at  the  same  time  assailing  her  with  a  volley  of 
questions.  Havilah  submitted  to  her  hostess's  inspection 
with  good-humor,  and  patiently  answered  all  her  queries; 
but  it  was  something  of  a  relief,  that  the  head  of  the  estab 
lishment  was  frequently  interrupted,  and  summoned  from 
her  inquisitorial  post  to  superintend  the  cooking  depart 
ment,  and  maintain  her  domestic  sway.  These  episodes 
were  not  calculated  to  convey  a  very  flattering  idea  of 
her  temper  or  character.  Her  voice  was  loud,  her  manners 
and  language  overbearing  and  peremptory.  Whether  por 
tioning  out  stores,  directing  her  handmaidens,  or  making 
occasional  assaults  upon  her  young  children,  two  little 
brothers  of  Abdoul,  who  were  playing  about  the  tent,  she 
evinced  a  pride  and  severity  which  made  her  presence 
less  welcome  each  time  that  she  returned  to  her  place  beside 
Havilah. 

Preparations  for  supper,  meanwhile,  went  rapidly  for- 


336  EL  FUREIDIS. 

ward.  '  The  aroma  of  coffee  began  to  mingle  with  the 
almost  suffocating  smoke  which  filled  the  tent.  The  steam 
from  the  caldron  was  savory  with  the  herbs  which  were 
boiling  among  the  stew.  The  thin  cakes  were  baked  crisp 
and  brown.  At  length  the  huge  joints  of  mutton  were 
ladled  out,  and,  floating  in  a  sea  of  rice,  were  carried  forth 
to  be  served  to  the  sheik  and  his  guests,  Havilah  having 
declined  everything  save  coffee,  bread,  and  dates,  which 
were  brought  her  by  the  old  woman. 

Comparative  quiet  and  order  now  ensued  in  the  harem, 
the  smoke  gradually  subsided,  the  cooking-utensils  were 
put  out  of  sight.  The  sun  had  gone  down,  and,  as  the 
moon  rose  late,  there  was  no  light  in  the  camp  save  that 
which  proceeded  from  watch-fires  burning  in  front  of  the 
semicircle  of  tents.  The  harem  stood  in  the  rear  of  the 
sheik's  larger  dwelling,  and  was  therefore  in  deep  shadow. 
Leaning  against  the  camel-furniture,  which  had  been  thrown 
over  the  bales  and  bags,  in  the  centre  of  the  apartment, 
Havilah  listened  to  the  deep  nasal  din  of  Arab  talk  and 
argument  going  forward  in  the  camp,  a  din  which  she  right 
ly  foresaw  would  continue  far  into  the  night.  Immediately 
around  her,  however,  a  refreshing  stillness  prevailed.  The 
domineering  principal  had  drawn  off  her  children,  and  her 
self  retreated  to  a  partitioned  corner  of  the  sheik's  tent; 
the  young  serving-women,  also,  had  disappeared.  Geita, 
vexed  at  the  importunities  of  the  Arab  girls,  had  long 
since  manifested  her  disgust  at  the  whole  establishment  by 
curling  herself  up  in  a  corner,  like  a  kitten,  and  falling 
asleep. 

"You  are  tired,  pretty  one,"  said  a  harshly-tuned,  but 
not  unkindly  voice,  breaking  in  upon  Havilah's  meditations. 
She  turned  and  saw  the  withered  crone  crouching  close  be 
side  her,  and  looking  up  in  her  face.  Havilah  had  no  fear 


EL  FUREIDIS.  337 

of  the  old  Arab  woman ;  she  was  accustomed  to  the  ugliness 
of  the  ancient  females  of  the  race,  and,  despite  the  discon 
tented  scowl  which  was  the  beldam's  habitual  expression, 
there  was  something  in  her  patient  assiduity  and  submission 
to  a  menial  lot  which  had  enlisted  Havilah's  sympathy. 
So  she  acknowledged  her  fatigue,  as  a  child  makes  confes 
sion  to  its  nurse,  and  learned  to  her  satisfaction  that  she  and 
Geita  were  to  enjoy  undisturbed  possession  of  the  harem, 
the  old  woman  alone  officiating  as  their  companion  and  pro 
tector.  The  weary  traveller  now  wrapped  herself  in  a  thick 
burnous,  lay  down  on  a  bed  of  Persian  mats,  and  was  hushed 
to  sleep  as  by  a  lullaby,  for  the  last  sound  she  heard  was  the 
voice  of  the  old  woman,  who,  seating  herself  on  the  carpet, 
swayed  her  bent  form  backward  and  forward,  and  in  monot 
onous  tones  invoked  the  peace  of  Allah  upon  her  beautiful 
charge,  whom  she  typified  by  many  a  sweet,  endearing 
epithet,  such  as  "  Ya  ainee ! "  (My  eye ! )  "  Ya  kolbee ! " 
(My  heart ! ) 


15 


338  EL  FUREIDIS. 


CHAPTER     XXVIII. 


THE  next  day  was  a  continued  festival  in  the  camp  of 
Zanadeen.  There  was  no  lack  of  laborious  activity  among 
the  Arabs  of  both  sexes,  but,  except  the  necessary  tasks  of 
milking  the  cattle  and  driving  them  to  pasture,  all  the 
energies  of  the  tribe  were  expended  for  the  entertainment 
of  their  guests,  and  the  universal  enjoyment  of  the  occasion. 

The  old  women  in  the  tents  were  busily  occupied  in 
making  butter,  and  pounding  wheat  and  spices.  The  shep 
herds  were  selecting  the  fattest  of  their  sheep  and  kids,  and 
slaying  them  for  the  approaching  banquet.  The  young 
women  were  braiding  their  long  hair  in  innumerable  tresses, 
and  assuming  their  choicest  anklets  and  rings.  The  young 
men  were  making  preparations  for  the  jeryd,  or  tournament 
with  the  lance,  which  was  to  constitute  the  chief  diversion 
of  the  day. 

This  latter  exercise  involved  numerous  preliminaries. 
Horses  of  endless  pedigree  must  be  faultlessly  groomed, 
fed  with  dainties,  and  caparisoned  in  a  style  proportioned 
to  their  rank  and  merits.  Silver-embossed  bridles  must  be 
polished,  slender  lances  freshly  plumed,  and  the  youths 
themselves  attired  in  the  best  outfit  their  scanty  wardrobes 
could  furnish.  Finally,  the  space  in  front  of  the  sheik's 
tent  must  be  freed  from  all  encumbrances,  and  the  cattle 
picketed  there  removed  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  camp, 
in  order  to  afford  the  riders  free  scope  to  run  their  tilt. 


EL  FUREIDIS.  339 

Abdoul  was  the  head  and  front  of  all  these  proceedings. 
Dressed  in  a  gaudy  silk  robe  surmounted  by  a  richly 
embroidered  vest,  with  his  feet  cased  in  yellow  boots  and 
the  fringed  ends  of  his  kefiyeh  floating  like  pennons  in  the 
breeze,  the  handsome  young  chieftain  curvetted  over  the 
plain  upon  his  white  mare,  performing  various  equestrian 
exploits,  and  devoutly  believing  himself  the  centre  of  all 
eyes.  He  had  reached  his  pinnacle  of  grandeur ;  and 
never  had  city  coxcomb  more  faith  in  his  own  pretensions 
than  had  this  vain  and  ambitious  boy  in  the  infallibility  of 
his  daring  hopes.  He  had  flung  down  the  gage  to  his  rival, 
and  already  anticipated  the  triumph.  He  little  dreamed, 
poor  heir  of  ignorance  and  child  of  conceit !  that,  while 
he  was  figuring  as  a  picturesque  spectacle,  his  rival  was 
engrossing  the  heart  of  his  queen,  and  winning  victories 
over  all  his  tribe. 

Nor  was  he  the  only  unconscious  and  ignorant  one ; 
for  the  Englishman  was  as  innocent  of  endeavor  and  in 
credulous  of  success  as  the  Arab  was  bold  and  presuming. 
But  this  grave  self-abnegating  Englishman  had  of  late 
possessed  some  strange  power  of  winning  hearts.  He 
knew  the  Bedouin  race  well ;  they  had  been  his  compan 
ions  in  many  journeys.  He  spoke  their  language  with 
fluency.  In  the  deserts  of  Mesopotamia  and  El  Hejaz  he 
had  overawed  them  by  his  courage,  and  repressed  their 
familiarity  by  his  reserve.  But  it  was  otherwise  now. 
He  felt  an  awakening  of  manly  tenderness  and  compassion 
for  these  errant  children  of  the  earth,  paupers  in  all  that 
is  wealth  and  joy  to  the  civilized  man.  He  had  come 
among  them,  too,  as  a  guest,  not  to  bargain  for  their  services, 
and  resist  their  encroachments,  but  to  enjoy  their  hospitality, 
and  eat  their  scanty  bread.  It  was  a  case  to  arouse  his 
chivalrous  interest  and  his  desire  to  befriend. 


340  EL  FUREIDIS. 

His  noble  figure  and  frank  countenance  had  prepossessed 
the  tribe  in  his  favor  from  the  moment  he  entered  their 
camp ;  the  patience  with  which  he  had  during  the  evening 
listened  to  their  tales  of  daring  exploits  had  flattered 
their  self-love,  and  the  stories  of  modern  inventions  and 
world-renowned  discoveries  with  which  he  had  entertained 
them  in  his  turn  had  taken  possession  of  their  excitable 
minds,  exalted  him  into  a  hero,  and  held  the  attention  of 
the  group  about  the  watch-fires  far  into  the  night. 

And  now,  whether  seated  outside  the  sheik's  tent  or  stroll 
ing  through  the  camp,  he  was  followed  and  surrounded  by 
an  astonished,  admiring  throng,  which,  so  far  from  repel 
ling,  he  condescended  to  talk  with  and  entertain. 

Nor  was  he  wanting  in  resources  more  real  and  tangible 
than  those  of  an  eloquent  tongue.  A  miniature  opera-glass 
which  he  produced  for  their  inspection  transported  them 
with  delight.  A  pocket  compass,  whose  use  he  carefully 
explained,  prompted  them  to  look  upon  him  as  a  species  of 
demigod.  One  of  those  ingenious  articles,  which,  under 
the  form  of  a  pocket-knife,  contains  a  dozen  of  the  mi 
nor  conveniences  of  life,  caused  the  curious  crowd  to 
huddle  together  and  gaze  upon  it  with  flashing,  covetous 
eyes.  As  these  things  were  passed  from  hand  to  hand, 
many  a  "  Mashallah ! "  testified  their  surprise,  many  an 
"  Inshallah ! "  called  heaven  to  witness ;  and  when,  with  a 
profuse  generosity  for  which  the  Arabs  were  unprepared, 
Meredith  bestowed  these  valuables  on  the  chiefs  of  the 
tribe,  and  distributed  gifts  of  fire-arms,  tobacco,  and  cloth 
ing  among  the  men  of  lesser  note,  their  impulsive  and 
easily-stirred  natures  were  warmed  to  fever  heat.  With 
a  storm  of  grateful  thanks  they  hailed  him  as  "father  of 
good  fortune,"  and  so  overwhelmed  him  with  flattering  ex 
pressions  of  affection,  that  he  found  himself  much  in  the 


EL  FUREIDIS.  341 

position  of  a  visitor  who  has  excited  the  children  of  a  re 
spectable  family  to  a  riot,  of  which  he  begins  to  be  ashamed, 
but  knows  not  how  to  quell. 

It  was  a  relief,  therefore,  to  his  weariness  and  embarrass 
ment,  when  the  sound  of  tambourines,  cymbals,  and  other 
rude  instruments  denoted  that  the  tournament  was  about 
to  commence,  and  that  he  might  be  permitted  to  take  a 
position  with  the  other  guests,  and  be  an  undisturbed  spec 
tator  of  the  game. 

Only  the  fresh  youth  of  the  tribe  had  a  part  in  this 
military  exercise.  Mounted  on  perfectly  trained  horses,  of 
which  the  riders  seemed  a  part,  they  arranged  themselves 
in  two  parallel  lines,  each  youth  facing  his  opponent,  and 
awaiting  a  signal  to  commence  the  charge.  Abdoul,  con 
spicuous  among  his  companions  both  for  beauty  and  grace, 
was  stationed  at  the  extremity  of  that  line  which  was  near 
est  to  the  sheik's  tent,  and  the  simple  waving  of  his  hand 
served  throughout  the  game  as  a  word  of  command.  Only 
a  single  antagonist  advanced  at  the  first  summons,  and  was 
met  by  Abdoul  in  mid-career,  both  horsemen  holding  their 
lances  high  above  their  heads,  and  causing  the  thin  reeds 
to  quiver  until  they  seemed  like  things  of  life.  As  the 
ambition  of  each  youth  was  to  disarm  his  adversary,  these 
lances  were  the  objects  of  attack.  At  the  first  charge,  the 
thrusts  on  both  sides  were  unsuccessful.  With  a  rapid 
evolution  the  attempt  was  resumed,  but  was  in  like  manner 
foiled,  one  rider  bending  to  his  saddle-bow,  and  holding  his 
lance  close  to  the  ground,  the  other  vaulting  upon  one  side 
and  sheltering  himself  and  his  weapon  behind  the  body 
of  his  horse.  Both  tiltsmen  were  skilled  in  the  game ; 
but,  though  possessing  a  formidable  adversaiy,  Abdoul  tri 
umphed  in  sure  success,  and  challenged  his  comrade  with 
superb  effrontery.  The  opponent's  lance  was  the  prize  of 


342  EL   FUREIDIS. 

the  contest.  Nevertheless  Abdoul  ventured  to  toss  his 
weapon  high  in  the  air  directly  above  his  combatant's 
head,  then  dart  forward,  recover  it,  and  dash  on  at  a  flying 
pace.  Again,  relying  on  the  unequalled  speed  of  the  Khad- 
here,  he  hesitated  not  to  fling  his  plumed  reed  in  advance  of 
him  with  such  skill  as  to  plant  it  upright  in  the  ground. 
The  game  now  became  a  race,  but  one  in  which  the  sheik's 
son  was  sure  to  win.  The  adversary  made  but  feeble  en 
deavors  to  imitate  the  young  chief's  daring,  satisfied  with 
acting  on  the  defensive,  and  striving  to  take  advantage  of 
the  risks  which  Abdoul  run.  But  to  do  this  was  impossi 
ble.  Abdoul's  skill  was  only  equalled  by  his  wariness,  and 
at  length,  in  the  very  moment  when  he  had  carried  his  own 
temerity  to  the  utmost,  he  bounded  upon  his  enemy's  lance 
and  bore  it  off  in  triumph. 

This  act  was  the  signal  for  fresh  lancers  to  rush  into  the 
mimic  warfare,  both  the  conqueror  and  the  conquered  de 
manding  fresh  adversaries;  and  as  one  after  another  was 
disarmed,  and  new  opponents  were  called  for,  the  whole 
company  were  gradually  admitted  into  the  lists.  Thus  the 
scene  became  more  and  more  complicated,  wild,  and  ex 
citing. 

The  old  chief  and  his  guests  meanwhile  watched  the 
progress  of  the  game,  their  eyes  instinctively  following  Ab 
doul,  who,  acting  under  the  inspiration  of  Havilah's  pres 
ence,  appeared  to  be  endued  with  magic  powers.  He  was 
everywhere  in  the  thickest  of  the  melee,  the  tall  plumes 
of  his  lance  towering  above  those  of  his  comrades.  So 
wonderful  and  rapid  were  the  feats  he  performed,  that 
sometimes  he  knelt,  sometimes  stood  aloft  in  the  saddle, 
sometimes  seemed  for  a  second  to  be  suspended  from  the 
Khadhere  by  his  wiry  hand  or  the  hollow  sole  of  his  foot, 
which  clung  as  it  were  by  magnetic  attraction.  Occasion- 


EL  FUREIDIS.  343 

ally  he  leaped  to  the  ground,  ran  a  few  steps,  and  vaulted 
again  upon  the  back  of  the  animal,  who  apparently  under 
stood  and  aided  her  master's  manoeuvre.  One  after  another 
his  antagonists  were  discomfited  and  disarmed,  but  in  no 
case  was  Abdoul  baffled  or  his  lance  wrested  from  him.  It 
was  evident  to  the  most  careless  observer,  that  the  chief's 
son  was  the  unrivalled  victor  hi  the  contest. 

But,  however  interested  the  spectators  might  be  in  the 
game  and  its  actors,  the  scene  was  after  all  monotonous ; 
and,  being  prolonged  for  an  unreasonable  length  of  time, 
the  attention  of  the  group  around  the  tent  was  gradually 
diverted.  Questioned  by  the  old  sheik,  who  had  all  the 
Arab's  curiosity,  Meredith  was  led  to  speak  of  the  military 
exercises  of  his  own  people.  From  this  he  had  passed  to 
tales  of  actual  warfare,  and  the  battles  and  sieges  of  the 
Crimea  (recent  horrors  then)  had  been  recounted  for  the 
chieftain's  benefit.  With  open-mouthed  wonder  the  veteran 
Arab  had  drunk  in  these  wonderful  narrations.  The  soul- 
stirring  charge  of  the  Light  Brigade,  so  different  from  the 
feigned  attacks  and  artificial  forays  of  Arab  life,  had  im 
pressed  him  with  thoughtful  reverence.  The  recollection  of 
these  events  had  power,  too,  over  the  mind  of  the  narra 
tor.  Tender  memories,  ruptured  friendships,  private  griefs, 
were  associated  in  Meredith's  mind  with  the  catastrophes 
he  was  describing ;  and,  turning  to  Havilah,  who  had  stood 
beside  him,  not  the  least  attentive  of  his  audience,  he  ap 
pealed  to  her  woman's  sympathies  in  behalf  of  the  desolate 
homes  and  broken  hearts  of  England. 

She  was  leaning  on  his  arm.  He  held  an  umbrella  above 
her  head  to  shield  her  from  the  sun.  Either  the  possession 
of  this  article,  or  some  other  tacitly  assumed  claim,  had  con 
stituted  him  her  protector  amid  this  wild  scene.  Perhaps 
this  familiar  relation,  perhaps  a  growing  faith  in  her  friend- 


344  EL  FUREIDIS. 

ship,  encouraged  him  to  something  of  the  freedom  of  former 
days,  for  he  talked  to  her  of  noble  schoolfellows  slain,  and 
wives  and  mothers  bereaved,  as  if  he  realized  that  they  two 
had  known  sorrow,  and  pity  had  upon  them  a  peculiar  claim. 

It  was  at  this  moment,  —  when  Meredith  spoke  softly  of 
the  dead,  unconsciously  revealing  his  own  desolation,  and 
Havilah  looked  up  at  him  with  dewy  eye,  pitying  the  stran 
gers  much,  but  her  friend  more,  —  when,  unobserved  by 
them  both,  the  tournament  had  ended,  and  the  circle  around 
the  tent  dispersed,  —  that  Abdoul  galloped  up  on  his  white 
mare,  like  some  knight  of  old,  coming  to  find  his  guerdon  of 
praise  in  those  smiles  which  had  so  often  cheered  and  en 
couraged  the  lesser  exploits  of  his  boyhood.  He  did  not 
approach  the  tent  from  the  front,  but  came  up  on  one  side ; 
the  mare  stepped  so  daintily  that  her  footfall  was  unnoticed; 
the  umbrella  too  interposed  between  its  owner  and  the  boy, 
until  the  latter  had  dismounted  and  come  forward,  lance  in 
hand,  ready  to  plant  the  victorious  weapon  at  Havilah's  feet. 
Such  was  evidently  the  youth's  intention ;  but  it  was  not 
fulfilled.  A  glance  at  her  and  her  companion,  alone  and 
mutually  engrossed,  was  enough  to  change  the  counte 
nance  and  purpose  of  the  excited  victor.  His  smile  of 
triumph  gave  place  to  a  fierce  scowl ;  he  grasped  his  lance 
with  a  savage  gesture  ;  he  stood  still  with  compressed 
lips,  and  eyes  that  would  have  committed  murder  if  they 
could. 

Havilah  started  and  colored  like  a  detected  criminal.  She 
saw  at  once  that  the  demon  had  again  taken  possession  of 
the  boy,  and  with  haste  she  strove  to  exorcise  it.  It  was 
too  late,  however.  Her  "  Bravely  done,  Abdoul ! "  was 
hardly  spoken,  her  hand  scarcely  outstretched  in  token  of 
congratulation,  before  the  youth  had  darted  round  the  tent, 
with  difficulty  repressing  a  menacing  gesture,  and  followed 


EL  FUREIDIS.  345 

by  the  Khadhere,  which  uttered  a  loud  snort,  and  kicked  up 
her  heels  disdainfully,  as  if  resenting  some  insult  offered  to 
her  master. 

"  Strange,  whimsical  fellow !  "  exclaimed  Meredith,  with 
mingled  amusement  and  compassion.  "  In  my  country  he 
would  be  a  subject  for  the  mad-house  ;  but  here  in  the  des 
ert  they  are  all  wild  men.  He  has  disturbed  you,  though," 
continued  the  young  man,  anxiously.  "I  thought  Abdoul 
had  been  too  much  of  a  courtier  for  that,  —  too  considerate 
a  host !  But  do  not  regard  his  sudden  freaks ;  I  have  found 
him  an  amiable  savage  in  the  main.  The  heat  is  becom 
ing  too  severe  for  you  on  this  side  the  tent ;  will  you  go 
in?" 

Havilah,  flushed  and  agitated,  replied  readily  in  the 
affirmative,  it  being  her  chief  desire  now  to  escape  from 
the  presence  of  Meredith,  lest  her  continuing  in  his  society 
should  still  further  whet  the  jealous  wrath  of  Abdoul. 

The  tournament  was  succeeded  by  a  banquet,  the  princi 
pal,  indeed  the  only  formal  meal  of  the  day.  The  fare 
consisted  of  boiled  mutton  served  with  rice,  huge  platters 
of  dates,  with  pyramids  of  snowy  butter  in  the  centre,  flat 
wheaten  cakes,  transparent  honey,  and,  in  addition  to  these 
ordinary  articles  of  diet,  a  roasted  kid,  stuffed  with  a  paste 
made  of  pistachio-nuts,  raisins,  almonds,  bread-crumbs, 
pepper,  and  salt,  a  luxury  the  preparation  of  which  had 
taxed  all  the  skill  of  the  best  cook  of  the  tribe.  This  en 
tertainment  was  partaken  of  by  the  men  alone,  females 
being  by  custom  excluded.  But  this  circumstance  did  not 
prevent  Abdoul  from  finding  in  the  occasion  further  food 
for  his  wrath  and  suspicion,  —  a  sort  of  food  for  which  his 
appetite  was  more  keen,  than  for  all  the  dainties  of  the 
banquet. 

The  compliments  and  ceremonials  of  a  Bedouin  feast  are 
15* 


346  EL  FUREIDIS. 

far  from  congenial  to  European  tastes.  The  custom  of 
plunging  the  hand  into  a  common  dish,  and  tearing  the  meat 
apart  with  the  fingers,  is  sufficiently  objectionable ;  but  a 
guest's  forbearance  is  still  further  tested  by  the  necessity  of 
receiving  with  a  good  grace  the  choice  morsels  which  are 
pressed  upon  him  by  hands  that  are  none  of  the  cleanliest. 
Meredith  would  gladly  have  dispensed  with  the  surfeit  of 
titbits  with  which  he  was  especially  distinguished;  but  while 
he  secretly  loathed  the  rice-balls  and  fleshy  morsels  stretched 
out  to  him  by  greasy  fingers  from  every  quarter,  Abdoul, 
seated  in  the  outskirts  of  the  convivial  circle,  saw  in  these 
and  similar  civilities  tokens  of  the  defection  of  his  whole 
tribe  to  the  enemy.  Every  flashing  eye,  fixed  in  admiring 
reverence  upon  the  Englishman,  was  like  a  spark  striking 
upon  the  tinder  of  the  boy's  vindictive  passions.  There  was 
a  mine  of  inflammable  matter  underneath,  waiting  only  to  be 
ignited  ;  but  the  explosion  did  not  come  yet. 

Twilight  stole  upon  the  banquet,  and  gray  evening  soon 
enfolded  the  camp.  Watch-fires  were  now  lighted,  and  the 
circle  of  white-robed  Bedouins,  seated  in  front  of  Zanadeen's 
tent,  looked  ghastly  in  the  glare.  Their  brilliant  black  eyes 
reflected  the  fire-light,  and  gleamed  like  a  ring  of  miniature 
lamps.  The  goat's-hair  hangings,  in  front  of  the  tent  were 
looped  up  so  that  the  wives  and  female  guests  of  the  sheik 
had  a  full  view  of  the  scene,  of  which  they  now  became  a 
part.  Camel  furniture  and  saddles  heaped  against  the  posts  of 
the  tent  afforded  comfortable  seats  to  Havilah  and  Geita,  as 
well  as  to  M.  Lapierire  and  M.  Trefoil,  who,  in  order  that  they 
might  enjoy  this  luxury,  had  retreated  within  the  shelter  of 
the  awning.  Meredith  threw  himself  upon  the  carpet,  just 
outside  the  entrance  and  nearly  opposite  to  Havilah,  who 
was  at  the  outermost  extremity  of  one  angle  of  the  primitive 
dwelling.  Both  were  in  such  a  position  that  their  faces 


EL  FUREIDIS.  347 

were  illuminated  by  the  fire-light.  Abdoul,  in  a  place  of 
honor  just  beside  his  father,  was  seated  with  his  back  to  the 
flame,  and  his  countenance  was  in  deep  shadow. 

The  sheik  had  still  one  entertainment  in  reserve  for  his 
visitors,  and  he  now  made  haste  to  announce  it. 

"  0  men  of  Lebanon !  and  thou,  0  most  excellent  Frank  ! " 
said  he,  at  the  same  time  endeavoring  by  an  authoritative 
gesture  to  silence  the  hum  of  guttural  voices  about  him,  that 
he  might  make  his  little  oration  intelligible,  —  "ye  have 
heard  our  tales  of  war  and  foray,  ye  have  seen  our  most 
nobly  descended  mares,  ye  have  witnessed  the  skill  and 
horsemanship  of  our  young  men.  Know,  then,  that  our 
tribe  has  still  one  more  excellence  to  boast.  The  sons  of 
Kahtan  have  ever  been  skilled  in  song ;  we  have  among  us 
a  Bedouin  of  pure  blood,  whose  mouth  drops  pearls.  Come 
forth,  then,  0  poet,  rival  of  Antar,  and  recite  a  song  in  honor 
of  our  noble  and  well-beloved  guests." 

Thus  summoned,  a  young  Arab  of  handsome  features  and 
imaginative  expression  of  countenance  emerged  from  the 
swarthy  ring,  drew  a  rubahah,  or  one-stringed  guitar,  from 
beneath  his  gracefully  falling  abayah,  and,  seating  himself 
in  the  midst  of  his  listeners,  commenced  the  prelude  to  his 
ballad. 

The  instrument  afforded  but  little  variety,  and  the  musi 
cian's  execution  was  rude ;  still  the  positive,  monotonous, 
wiry  sounds  which  he  extracted  from  the  single  string  were 
not  without  melodious  effect,  and  were  a  fitting  preparation 
for  the  singular  chant  which  ensued. 

The  bard  being  a  species  of  improvvisatore,  and  his  verse 
impromptu,  his  audience  were  wholly  unprepared  for  the 
following  rhapsody,  which  was  accompanied  by  various  ex 
pressive  gestures,  addressed  to  him  who  was  the  subject  of 
the  song. 


348  EL  FUREIDIS. 

"  I  have  seen  the  son  of  the  West, — the  man  of  the  strong  limb  and 
generous  heart. 

"  He  has  come  from  the  distant  isles  of  the  sea,  and  the  children  of 
the  Orient  welcome  him  as  the  '  Father  of  good  fortune.' 

"  Wherefore  comest  thou  hither,  O  son  of  the  fair-haired  ? 
Why  lingerest  thou  on  the  mountain  and  in  the  desert  ? 
A  soft  breath  from  afar  hath  lured  thee  hither. 
Two  dove-like  eyes  are  the  double  spell  that  binds  thee. 
"  Thy  heart  is  as  tender  as  it  is  radiant.     Thou  art  strong  for  love 
as  for  war. 

"  Like  a  lion  wounded  by  a  lance  is  the  strong  heart  which  love 
hath  pierced. 

"  Torment  thyself  not,  O  strong  heart !  There  is  a  cure  for  thy 
wound. 

"  Allah  send  thee  healing, 

Send  peace,  0  Allah  !  to  the  son  of  the  stranger  : 
Thy  faithful  children  invoke  thee  to  his  aid." 

The  musician  prolonged  the  last  note  of  his  song  until 
the  circle  around  him,  who  understood  the  hint,  caught 
up  the  words  of  his  invocation  to  Allah,  and  repeated  them 
in  enthusiastic  chorus,  waving  their  hands  above  their 
heads,  and  making  the  desert  ring  with  their  deep  nasal 
voices. 

Meredith,  who  at  the  very  commencement  of  the  chant 
had  been  manifestly  annoyed  by  its  personal  character,  put 
a  more  severe  constraint  upon  himself  as  it  proceeded, 
avoided  meeting  any  one's  eye,  and  took  refuge  in  feigning 
an  imperfect  comprehension  of  the  meaning  and  intention 
of  the  song.  But  even  this  secret  embarrassment  was  soon 
lost  in  sympathy  for  the  still  greater  confusion  and  distress 
of  her  to  whom  the  succeeding  stanzas  were  addressed ;  for 
as  soon  as  silence  ensued,  the  poet  turned  towards  Havilah, 
and  sung  thus :  — 

"  Take  pity,  O  fair  one,  on  him  who  thirsteth  for  thy  love. 
Take  pity,  also,  on  thyself. 


EL  FUREIDIS.  349 

"  Thy  beautiful  eyes  are  cast  down,  O  Lebanon  maid !  lest  their 
stolen  glances  should  betray  thee  ;  but  the  poet  who  sings  of  love  can 
read  the  signs  of  its  torment. 

"  He  sees  how,  at  the  voice  of  the  Frank,  thy  breast  flutters  like  the 
breast  of  the  dove  who  hears  afar  off  the  voice  of  her  mate.  Silence 
not  the  yearning  within  thee. 

"  Then  shall  your  mutual  tortures  cease. 
Then  shall  ye  both  be  blest. 
Then  will  the  children  of  the  desert  rejoice 
In  the  joy  of  the  fair  youth  and  the  dark-haired  maid." 

Once  more  the  self-satisfied  poet  dwelt  on  the  last  sylla 
ble.  Once  more  the  susceptible  crowd  gathered  voice  for  a 
rapturous  chorus.  But  they  were  interrupted.  A  fierce 
cry,  like  that  of  some  wild  beast,  —  a  frantic  bound,  —  and 
the  rubahah  was  snatched  from  the  hand  of  the  startled 
bard,  its  solitary  string  was  snapped  in  twain,  the  instru 
ment  itself  dashed  in  pieces  on  the  ground,  and  Abdoul, 
wrapping  his  cloak  over  his  face,  strode  beyond  the  boun 
daries  of  the  circle,  and  disappeared  in  the  darkness. 

A  fearful  hubbub  succeeded.  The  excitable  Bedouins 
instantly  sprung  to  their  feet,  grasped  their  weapons,  and 
glared  in  the  direction  the  youth  had  taken.  Sheik  Zana- 
deen,  incensed  and  mortified  at  so  manifest  a  breach  of  de 
corum  on  the  part  of  his  son,  made  haste  to  apologize  to  his 
guests,  his  clouded  and  anxious  brow  at  the  same  time  indi 
cating  no  slight  degree  of  parental  anxiety.  The  circle  of 
Arabs  drew  off  in  groups,  and  stood  at  a  distance  gesticu 
lating  and  chattering,  their  fierce  faces  and  attitudes  looking 
fiercer  in  the  firelight,  and  indicating  their  contempt  and 
indignation  at  the  discourteous  and  inhospitable  behavior 
of  the  young  chief. 

Meredith  received  the  sheik's  apology  in  dignified  silence. 
He  knew  the  impetuous  character  of  the  people  with  whom 
he  had  to  deal,  and  felt  that  it  became  him  to  manifest  a 


350  *  EL  FUBEIDIS. 

certain  degree  of  displeasure  at  Abdoul's  conduct,  if  he 
would  keep  alive  that  respect  which  is  the  traveller's  safe 
guard. 

Havilah  also  participated  in  this  view  of  the  case.  Her 
head,  bowed  in  maidenly  shame-  during  the  progress  of  the 
song,  had  been  suddenly  buried  in  her  hands  as  she  wit 
nessed  the  wrath  of  Abdoul,  and  her  whole  frame  had  trem 
bled  with  agitation.  With  proud  composure,  however,  she 
now  rose,  placed  her  arm  in  that  of  M.  Lapierre,  made  a 
respectful  salutation  to  Zanadeen,  and  under  the  old  pastor's 
protection  withdrew  to  her  tent. 

It  naturally  fell  to  M.  Trefoil  to  conciliate  all  parties. 
This  was  the  kind-hearted  man's  natural  province,  and  he 
but  acted  out  his  impulses  in  playing  the  part  of  a  pacifica 
tor,  professing  himself  confident  of  the  sheik's  friendship, 
and  assuring  him  of  Meredith's  disposition  to  overlook  any 
personal  slight. 

As  Meredith's  severity  was  but  a  pretence  of  anger,  as 
he  was  in  reality  far  more  vexed  with  the  indiscreet  poet 
who  had  put  Havilah  to  the  blush,  than  with  the  miscreant 
youth  who  had  interrupted  the  song,  the  humbled  sheik  had 
no  difficulty  in  appeasing  his  English  guest,  and  mutual  ex 
pressions  of  good-will  were  at  once  exchanged. 

But  it  was  neither  politic  nor  possible  to  revive  the  social 
character  of  the  occasion ;  the  mortified  Bedouins  made  no 
attempt  to  reunite  in  conversational  circles,  and  at  a  com 
paratively  early  hour  the  camp  was  silent,  and  its  dwellers 
scattered  to  their  respective  tents. 


EL  FUREIDIS.  351 


CHAPTER    XXIX. 

THE  watch-fires  burned  lower  and  lower,  then  smoul 
dered  and  went  out  The  moon  was  far  on  the  wane,  and 
had  not  yet  risen.  Stars  lit  up  the  sky,  but  not  the  desert. 
Havilah,  a  pale  watcher  in  the  harem-tent,  shuddered  at 
the  gathering  darkness,  which  seemed  to  her  a  curtain  let 
down  before  the  final  act  of  a  tragedy.  Little  Geita  was 
sound  asleep.  The  snoring  of  the  old  woman  attested  that 
she  too  was  oblivious  of  yesterday  and  unconscious  of 
to-morrow.  Only  Havilah  remembered  the  one,  and  longed 
for  the  other. 

She  had  looped  up  one  corner  of  the  tent-hanging,  and  sat 
where  she  could  command  a  rear  view  of  the  whole  semi 
circular  encampment.  There  was  one  among  the  black 
tents  on  which  she  had  kept  her  eye  fixed  so  long  as  there 
was  the  faintest  glimmering  of  light,  and  now  her  ear  was 
strained  in  the  same  direction.  Thus  she  sat  for  hours. 
The  time  seemed  long,  but  she  felt  no  weariness,  and  no 
wish  to  sleep. 

At  length  a  faint  light  illumined  the  east,  and  a  narrow 
strip  of  moon  put  forth  its  slender  horn.  It  was  not  the  day- 
dawn,  only  a  cold,  early-morning  moon  ;  yet  Havilah  hailed 
it  as  affording  a  faint  security  and  a  certain  promise.  It 
threw  a  dim  light  over  the  scene.  In  three  hours  more  it 
would  be  sunrise,  and  she  breathed  freer. 

Just  then,  when  her  eye  was  familiarizing  itself  with  the 


352  EL  FUREIDIS. 

surrounding  objects  as  they  gradually  emerged  from  the 
darkness,  she  caught  sight  of  something  which  seemed  to 
steel  her  vision.  It  was  not  a  tent,  a  camel,  or  a  goat,  for  it 
moved  along  the  surface  of  the  ground  spirally,  like  a  ser 
pent.  It  was  what  Havilah  had  been  looking  and  listening 
for  all  night,  and  calmly,  like  one  prepared,  she  arose  and 
followed  it. 

It  crept  in  and  out  among  the  goafs-hair  dwellings, 
paused,  lifted  up  its  head,  looked  around,  and  hesitated,  then 
kept  on  its  way ;  often,  however,  pursuing  an  uncertain 
course,  sometimes  retracing  its  steps.  Its  convolutions  were 
rapid,  but  not  more  so  than  those  of  its  pursuer,  who,  gliding 
round  the  tents  like  a  shadow,  screened  herself  from  view, 
yet  never  once  lost  sight  of  her  object. 

At  length,  by  an  oblique  approach,  the  latter  gained  its 
destination,  outside  a  tent  in  no  way  distinguishable  from 
the  others  save  to  a  practised  eye.  The  creature  —  a 
human  creature,  for  such  it  was  —  now  took  a  sly  observa 
tion  in  every  direction,  laid  his  ear  to  the  ground  and  lis 
tened  attentively,  then  lifted  a  strip  of  goat's-hair  on  the 
eastern  side  and  entered  the  desert  lodging.  The  tent  was 
small,  boasted  no  furniture  save  a  couch  of  Damascus  mats, 
and  had  but  a  single  occupant,  the  Englishman.  Perplexed 
by  the  previous  day's  experiences,  Meredith  had  sat  cogi 
tating  them  until  midnight,  then,  overcome  by  the  multiplied 
fatigues  they  had  involved,  he  had  wrapped  himself  in  a 
mantle  of  Scotch  tweed,  and  laid  down  upon  his  pallet, 
where  he  slept  as  soundly  as  a  tired  school-boy.  As  inno 
cently  too,  for  as  the  moon,  just  above  the  eastern  horizon, 
cast  its  rays  directly  through  the  aperture,  it  revealed  a 
noble  head,  pillowed,  child-like,  on  one  arm,  the  hair 
thrown  back  so  as  to  display  the  fulness  of  the  broad 
white  brow,  and  every  line  of  the  frank  countenance  re- 


EL  FUREIDIS.  353 

futing  the  thought  that  this  man  could  cherish  malice  or 
possess  an  enemy. 

And  yet  over  his  unprotected  breast  leaned  one  with  a 
savage  face,  a  sharpened  dagger,  and  a  soul  thirsting  for 
blood. 

There  seemed  to  be  but  a  breath  between  the  sleeper  and 
the  grave,  for  there  was  no  mercy  in  the  face  of  the  assassin ; 
but  at  the  very  moment  when  the  thin  muscular  arm  was 
lifted  for  the  stroke,  and  the  dagger  was  pointed  at  the  vic 
tim's  heart,  another  arm  was  resolutely  lifted,  and  another 
hand  grasped  the  hilt  of  the  weapon.  The  would-be  murderer 
saw  the  shadow  that  interfered  between  him  and  his  pur 
pose,  before  he  felt  the  touch  of  the  mastering  hand.  He 
turned,  recoiled,  and  became  deadly  pale ;  his  lips,  that  had 
been  compressed  in  vengeance,  suddenly  parted  in  horror ; 
his  arm  dropped  powerless.  Havilah  held  the  dagger  aloft ; 
Abdoul  stood  before  her  disarmed  and  paralyzed. 

She  waved  the  shining  weapon  towards  the  outside  of  the 
tent,  and  motioned  to  the  youth  to  follow  her.  She  did  not 
speak,  —  she  did  not  even  touch  him ;  she  simply  raised  her 
wand  of  steel,  and,  with  his  eye  fixed  on  the  blade,  the  boy 
obeyed,  as  the  needle  obeys  the  magnet.  She  walked  erect 
with  unhesitating  pace,  he  dragged  his  limbs  unwillingly 
along,  like  a  criminal  under  arrest ;  but  he  was  spell-bound, 
and  attempted  no  resistance.  She  did  not  pause  until  she 
had  gained  an  open  space  at  some  distance  from  the  en 
campment,  then  she  stopped  short  and  faced  him. 

"  Playing  the  night-murderer  in  thy  father's  tents,  Ab 
doul  ?  "  exclaimed  she,  in  a  tone  of  bitter  scorn.  "  Has  my 
brother  become  a  beast  ?  " 

The  sound  of  her  voice  broke  the  spell  by  which  his  fury 
had  been  chained ;  her  taunting  question  well-nigh  mad 
dened  him  into  the  thing  she  likened  him  to ;  for,  without 

w 


354  EL  FUKEIDIS. 

warning,  he  started  from  his  cringing  posture,  and  with  a 
panther-like  bound  strove  to  wrest  his  dagger  from  her 
hand. 

Had  Havilah  suddenly  gained  in  height  ?  or  was  it  merely 
the  majesty  of  her  presence,  as  she  stood  with  the  khangar 
uplifted  above  her  head,  which  overawed  the  boy,  and  so 
placed  the  prize  above  his  reach?  However  it  might  be, 
his  attempt  failed,  and,  with  his  eye  fixed  hopelessly  upon 
the  weapon,  he  suffered  his  hand  to  drop  heavily  at  his  side, 
while  his  whole  form  relapsed  into  insignificance. 

"  I  shall  not  trust  thee  with  it,"  said  Havilah,  proudly ; 
"thou  art  not  fit  to  handle  steel." 

The  youth  gnashed  his  long  white  teeth,  and  glared  upon 
her  like  a  tiger.  But  she  continued  fearlessly :  "  Was  it 
for  this,  false  boy,  that  thou  didst  decoy  us  to  the  tents  of 
Zanadeen?  Is  thy  boasted  desert  but  a  trap  for  the  stran 
ger,  and  does  thy  deceitful  tongue  flatter  only  to  betray  ?  " 

Abdoul,  still  more  exasperated  at  her  words,  answered 
only  by  making  a  second  plunge  at  the  dagger,  which  this 
time  he  almost  clutched.  But  with  a  forbidding  gesture 
she  waved  him  off,  and  held  him  fixed  by  the  power  of  her 
eye,  while  she  said  :  "  Stand  back !  strive  not  with  me,  but 
thank  Heaven,  who  sent  me  to  save  thee  from  shedding 
the  blood  of  a  noble  and  innocent  man." 

"  I  hate  him !  I  spit  on  him  with  contempt ! "  muttered 
Abdoul  between  his  teeth. 

"  Thou  hatest  him  without  a  cause,"  said  Havilah,  "  and 
thy  contempt  has  recoiled  upon  thine  own  head.  The  Eng 
lishman  is  as  brave  as  thou  art  cowardly,  as  true  as  thou  art 
false,  as  generous  as  thou  art  mean." 

"  He  has  crossed  my  path !  he  has  trodden  me  under  his 
heel !  The  curse  of  Allah  be  upon  him ! "  said  Abdoul, 
bitterly. 


EL  FUREIDIS.  355 

"  His  path  is  a  straight  one,"  responded  Havilah.  "What 
wonder  if  it  crosses  the  crooked  ways  of  thy  deceit.  But 
tell  me  not  that  he  has  crushed  thee  under  foot.  He  has  a 
heart  which  would  forbid  him  to  trample  even  on  a  worm." 

"The  track  of  the  desert  caravan  is  not  more  straight 
than  was  the  course  of  Abdoul  before  the  stranger  came 
hither  to  thwart  him,"  said  the  youth  ;  "  but  the  feeble  has 
been  pushed  aside  to  make  way  for  the  strong,  and  the  way 
farer  that  has  been  oppressed  by  the  enemy  has  become  in 
his  turn  a  robber  and  a  spy." 

"  Thou  speakest  as  if  the  Englishman  had  wronged  thee, 
Abdoul,"  said  Havilah.  "  Thou  art  deceived.  "What  could 
he  need  that  was  thine  ?  " 

"  "What  could  he  need  ?  Thou  mayst  well  ask  that,  Havi 
lah,"  exclaimed  Abdoul,  with  intense  passion.  "He  came 
from  the  land  of  wealth  and  freedom,  and  fair-haired  houris, 
the  daughters  of  his  race.  He  had  gold  with  which  to 
adorn  his  home,  and  a  face  and  tongue  made  to  win  woman's 
love.  Why  need  he  come  hither  to  buy  up  the  hearts  of 
my  tribe,  and  sit  in  my  green  oasis,  and  drink  from  the 
fountain  of  my  hopes,  and  pluck  the  solitary  flower  that 
grew  thereby  ?  " 

"He  has  not  defrauded  thee  thus, — he  does  not  merit 
thine  ill-will,"  said  Havilah,  with  a  positiveness  of  assertion 
which  was  nevertheless  combined  with  a  kindly  tone,  for 
she  comprehended  and  pitied  the  mad  jealousy  of  Abdoul. 

"  Dost  thou  tell  me,"  interrogated  Abdoul,  fiercely,  "  that 
he  who  steals  my  horse  or  my  camel  is  a  thief,  and  he  who 
steals  the  light  of  mine  eyes  is  blameless  ?  Shall  the  man 
who  has  slain  mine  uncle  in  a  skirmish  be  the  object  of 
my  blood-revenge,  —  and  shall  he  who  has  poured  poison 
into  my  cup  not  be  called  on  to  atone  ?  '  God  hath  not 
given  a  man  two  hearts  within  him/  that  one  can  be  spared 


356  EL  FUREIDIS. 

to  the  enemy.  Let  the  Englishman  beware !  The  Arab 
that  has  been  bred  on  camel's  flesh  has  fortified  his  soul  in 
hatred."  *  He  seemed,  as  he  spoke  the  last  words,  to  grind 
them  out  from  between  his  teeth,  and  the  vindictiveness  that 
shone  in  his  eye  was  fearful. 

"  Poor  boy,  thou  art  frenzied  with  some  imaginary  wrong ! " 
said  Havilah,  compassionately. 

"The  pale  Frank  has  maddened  me,"  said  the  youth, 
clenching  his  fist.  "  I  have  eaten  sorrow  and  drunk  afflic 
tion  ever  since  his  tall  shadow  darkened  the  land.  He  has 
come  with  the  power  of  sorcerers  and  Jinns,  and  all  things 
do  his  bidding.  He  is  the  father  of  a  strong  will ;  women 
-are  his  worshippers,  and  men  his  slaves.  Thou  fearedst  the 
Englishman  once,  but  thou  lovest  him  now,  Havilah." 

Thus  far  this  exciting  scene  had  proceeded  without  wit 
ness  or  interruption ;  but  a  third  party  now  drew  near  the 
spot,  and  other  ears  caught  the  succeeding-  words  of  the 
dialogue.  Either  the  moonlight  shining  directly  across  his 
face,  or  that  mysterious  consciousness  which  sometimes 
visits  one  in  sleep,  had  suddenly  awakened  Meredith.  The 
gaping  aperture  in  his  tent-covering  instantly  betrayed  the 
circumstance  of  some  recent  intrusion,  the  source  of  which 
he  made  haste  to  ascertain ;  and,  accident  guiding  him  in  the 
direction  Havilah  had  taken,  he  soon  detected  her  figure 
and  that  of  the  boy.  As  it  never  occurred  to  his  straight 
forward  and  unsuspicious  nature  to  doubt  that  his  presence 
would  be  welcome,  whatever  the  dilemma,  he  advanced 
unhesitatingly  until  suddenly  checked  by  Abdoul's  final 
allusion  to  himself.  Loath  to  take  an  unfair  advantage, 
(for  he  perceived  at  once  that  his  approach  had  been  un- 

*  Such  is  the  vindictiveness  of  the  camel's  disposition,  that  it  is  pro 
verbial  among  the  Arabs  that  those  fed  on  its  flesh  become  similarly 
unforgiving  and  revengeful. 


EL  FUREIDIS.  357 

observed,)  Meredith  might  have  felt  bound  in  honor  to 
withdraw  ;  but  at  the  same  instant  he  caught  sight,  through 
the  dim  atmosphere,  of  the  dagger  which  Havilah  held 
resolutely  above  her  head,  and  beheld  the  savage  fire  in 
Abdoul's  eye,  and  the  threatening  gesture  of  his  clenched 
hand.  He  could  not  leave  the  dearest  object  to  him  on  earth 
exposed  to  such  imminent  danger,  and  he  stood  transfixed, 
hesitating  between  his  impulse  to  throttle  the  boy  and  his 
reluctance  to  rush  uncalled  for  upon  the  scene. 

Havilah  made  no  reply  to  the  charge  which  Abdoul  en 
forced  with  such  violence ;  and,  presuming  upon  her  silence, 
he  continued,  insolently :  "  Yes,  I  have  watched  thee  as 
they  watch  whose  life  hangs  on  a  thread.  Abdoul  needs 
no  base  rhymer  —  a  dog,  and  son  of  a  dog  —  to  tell  him 
that  the  eyes  which  once  helped  to  light  the  starry  heavens 
now  borrow  all  their  flame  from  the  pale  orbs  of  that  son 
of  the  West.  Thy  heart  flutters,  when  he  is  beside  thee, 
as  an  eaglet  flutters  in  the  hand  of  the  hunter;  when  he 
speaks,  thine  ear  is  deaf  to  all  other  sounds.  His  image  is 
in  thy  soul,  and  is  reflected  on  thy  face.  Thou  lovest  him, 
Havilah ! " 

Until  he  reached  the  last  words,  Abdoul  spoke  in  a 
vituperative  tone,  fiercely  scanning  her  features  meanwhile  ; 
but  as  his  passionate  vehemence  reached  its  climax,  he 
uttered  the  words,  "  Thou  lovest  him,  Havilah ! "  close  to 
her  ear,  and  with  a  prolonged  hiss. 

"  And  what  if  I  do  love  him  ?  "  exclaimed  Havilah,  indig 
nantly  repulsing  the  boy,  whose  audacity  offended,  though  it 
failed  to  alarm  her.  "  Is  that  a  matter  for  scoffing  and  for 
scorn  ?  I  tell  thee,  Abdoul,  to  love  worthily  and  well  is  to 
grow  into  the  likeness  of  angels.  One  heart  possessed  by  a 
holy  love  has  the  strength,  the  courage,  and  the  faith  of  two. 
Be  ashamed  of  hatred,  but  for  love  thank  God." 


358  EL  FUREIDIS. 

"  Praise  be  to  Allah  for  his  good  gifts ! "  said  the  boy,  with 
a  touch  of  reverence  which  contrasted  strangely  with  the 
tone  of  his  preceding  language.  "  But  love  "  —  and  he  here 
resumed  his  accent  of  contradiction  and  of  wrath  —  "  love  is 
a  blast  of  the  evil  spirit,  it  is  the  very  simoom's  breath.  It 
consumes  like  a  pestilence,  it  scorches  like  a  fire,  it  drinks 
up  the  life-blood,  and  reduces  the  heart  to  ashes." 

"  Hush,  Abdoul ! "  said  Havilah,  with  imperious  and 
reproving  gesture.  "  Thou  profanest  a  sacred  word,  and 
libellest  the  thing  which  thou  knowest  not.  That  which 
thou  hast  described  is  what  love  is  not.  Listen,  now,  while 
I  tell  thee  what  love  is.  It  is  a  power  within  the  soul  which 
links  it  to  all  things  good.  It  is  the  breath  of  Heaven.  It 
is  virtue's  native  air.  It  lifts  the  heart  into  the  presence  of 
its  Maker.  It  expands  it  until  it  embraces  all  the  earth. 
To  love  God  is  to  do  his  will.  To  love  man,  who  is  made 
in  the  image  of  God,  is  to  see  in  him  a  likeness  to  the 
Father.  He  who  is  most  like  God,  claims  largest  love.  To 
love  such  a  one  is  to  trust  in  his  truth,  to  cherish  his  honor, 
to  seek  his  glory,  to  serve  him  with  joy,  to  blossom  in  his 
smile  as  the  flower  blossoms  in  the  sun,  forgetful  of  self 
and  content  to  draw  its  light  from  him." 

She  threw  back  her  head,  as  if  triumphing  in  the  very 
meekness  of  the  love  which  she  proudly  professed.  Abdoul 
gazed  up  at  her,  as  if  she  had  been  a  distant  star  which  he 
was  studying. 

"  Experience  is  thy  teacher,  Havilah ! "  he  exclaimed, 
accusingly.  Then,  clasping  his  hands  together,  as  if  in  final 
appeal,  he  ejaculated  with  frantic  eagerness,  "  Thou  lovest  ? 
thou  lovest  him  ?  " 

"  And  if  I  do,"  said  Havilah,  in  the  same  royal  and  de 
fiant  tone  in  which  she  had  previously  spoken,  "  what  is  that 
to  thee  ?  "  She  placed  her  hand  lightly  upon  his  shoulder 


EL  FUBEIDIS.  359 

as  she  spoke,  partly  to  give  impressiveness  to  her  words, 
partly  to  repel  his  proximity,  for  his  scrutinizing  face  was 
close  to  her.  Apparently  her  touch  overcame  him,  for  he 
sunk  beneath  it  as  if  it  had  been  a  leaden  weight,  and,  drop 
ping  on  his  knees,  with  his  hands  still  clasped,  he  gazed  in 
her  face  with  excitement,  yet  with  awe. 

"  Canst  thou  comprehend  a  soul  like  his  ?  "  she  continued, 
"  or  sound  the  depths  of  his  kingly  heart  ?  Can  one  who  is 
torn  by  selfish  passions  believe  in  a  love  which  can  outlive 
coldness,  disappointment,  and  scorn,  —  which  can  endure 
rejection  and  banishment,  —  which,  when  earth  is  dark  and 
hope  gone  out,  can  find  its  solace  in  the  love  of  the  Most 
High,  and,  drawing  priceless  treasures  from  the  Infinite, 
return  to  pour  them  all  out  in  the  service  of  her  from  whom 
he  neither  asks  nor  hopes  a  return  ?  Canst  thou,  who 
creepest  in  the  dead  of  night  to  refresh  thy  shrivelled  heart 
in  the  blood  of  a  rival,  believe  in  a  generosity  which  is 
boundless,  a  faith  that  suspicion  cannot  taint,  a  devotion  as 
disinterested  as  the  sun?  When  thou  canst  believe  this, 
Abdoul,  then  wilt  thou  know  that  the  Englishman  has  loved 
with  a  love  of  which  Havilah  is  not  worthy." 

As  Havilah  finished  speaking,  the  Arab  suffered  his 
clasped  hands  to  drop  upon  the  earth,  his  face  sunk  upon 
his  hands,  and  the  simple  words  which  once  more  burst 
from  his  lips,  "  Thou  lovest  him  ! "  were  no  longer  a  taunt, 
but  a  wail. 

"And  if  I  do,"  said  Havilah,  as  she  stood  like  a  reprov 
ing  seraph  looking  down  upon  the  prostrate  form  of  the 
boy,  "  thou  shouldst  thank  me  for  a  love  which  has  saved 
thee  from  the  foulest  crime  in  an  Arab,  no  less  than  a  Chris 
tian  calendar.  Was  it  not  enough  to  repay  the  English 
man's  indulgence  with  falsehood,  and  his  kindness  with  hate, 
but  thou  must  forfeit  the  courage  of  a  chieftain  and  the 


EL  FUREIDIS. 

honor  of  a  host,  to  lurk  round  the  door  of  thy  guest's  tent 
like  a  serpent,  and  pounce  upon  him  like  a  wolf?  What, 
thinkest  thou,  would  be  the  verdict  of  thy  tribe,  were  it 
known  that  the  son  of  Zanadeen,  the  pride  of  Arab  chiv 
alry,  had  violated  the  laws  of  hospitality,  had  betrayed  the 
sacred  trust,  and  had  attempted  the  life  of  the  stranger 
whom  Bedouin  honor  was  sworn  to  protect.  Thou  knowest 
that  thine  own  father  and  brother  would  disown  thee,  and 
that,  wert  thou  famishing  in  the  wilderness,  there  is  not 
one  among  all  thy  race  who  would  not  spurn  thee  from 
his  father's  tent." 

Abdoul  sunk  lower  and  lower  at  her  feet.  He  seemed 
literally  to  writhe  on  the  ground  as  she  thus  charged  home 
to  him  his  crime.  He  answered  only  by  a  groan. 

"  Abdoul,"  said  she,  bending  over  him  now,  and  speaking 
in  a  pitying  tone,  for  his  groan  of  anguish  had  roused  her  com 
passion.  "  I  am  grieved  for  thee,  Abdoul,  my  brother.  I  will 
not  doubt,  even  now,  that  thy  purposes  were  fair  when  thou 
didst  invite  us  hither.  If  thou  hast  betrayed  thy  guest,  it  is 
because  thine  own  soul  did  first  betray  thee.  Thou  art  not 
thyself.  Some  evil  spirit  has  taken  possession  of  thee,  my 
poor  boy." 

She  paused,  but  there  was  no  response.  Utterly  subdued 
and  powerless,  the  youth  lay  quite  still,  and  she  continued, 
in  a  pleading  and  trembling  voice :  "  O  Abdoul !  drive  out 
the  enemy  that  wars  against  thy  better  self.  Turn  all  thine 
anger  and  thy  wrath  against  the  besetting  fiend.  For  my 
sake,  for  the  sake  of  Havilah,  once  thy  playmate  and  still 
thy  friend, — for  the  sake  of  the  happy  and  innocent  days 
which  thou  hast  passed  in  El  Fureidis,  —  abjure  thy  wicked 
manhood,  and  be  a  harmless  boy  again.  I  beseech  thee  as 
a  sister,  Abdoul.  I  entreat  thee  by  the  memory  of  her  who 
cherished  thee  in  thy  misfortunes,  healed  thy  wounds,  com- 


EL  FUREIDIS.  361 

forted  thy  bruised  spirit,  and  taught  thee  the  simple  lessons 
of  our  Christian  faith,  —  by  the  memory  of  one  who  was  dear 
to  thee,  —  my  mother,  our  mother,  lanthe  ! " 

At  the  closing  word  of  her  adjuration  Havilah's  voice 
faltered ;  tears  were  streaming  down  her  face,  and  her  voice 
became  choked  and  husky. 

For  a  moment  it  seemed  as  if  she  had  been  addressing  a 
lifeless  clod,  Abdoul  lay  so  still  and  torpid  beneath  her  gaze ; 
then  suddenly  a  low,  gurgling  sob  escaped  him ;  he  dragged 
himself  a  step  nearer  to  Havilah,  and,  clasping  his  thin 
hands  around  her  feet,  kissed  them  passionately. 

As  he  flung  himself  forward  for  this  servile  but  convul 
sive  embrace,  Meredith,  alarmed  at  the  movement,  advanced 
incautiously  to  Havilah's  protection.  She  turned  her  head 
slightly,  saw  him,  but,  fearless  of  danger,  signed  to  him  to 
keep  silence,  and  herself,  standing  rigid  and  erect,  patiently 
awaited  the  end.  One  long,  fervent  clasp,  one  storm  of  de 
vouring  kisses  pressed  rapturously  upon  the  submissive  feet, 
and  the  boy  had  covered  his  face  with  his  kefiyeh,  had 
sprung  from  his  grovelling  posture,  had  bounded  like  an 
arrow  from  the  bow  across  the  few  yards  of  space  that 
intervened  between  him  and  the  Khadhere,  that  intelli 
gently  loitered  hard  by,  had  mounted,  and  was  far  away 
on  the  desert. 

As  the  little  babe  whose  courage  is  spent  stretches 
out  its  hand  for  help,  Havilah  stretched  out  hers  to  Mer 
edith.  He  clasped  it  in  his,  and  with  strained  eyes  and 
beating  hearts  together  they  watched  the  boy.  The  moon 
now  cast  a  long  pillar  of  light  across  the  plain,  and  illu- 
nated  the  horseman's  course.  The  journey  was  a  flight, 
the  Khadhere  a  winged  bird.  It  seemed  but  a  moment 
ere  the  white  mare  had  dwindled  in  the  distance  to  the 
size  of  a  sea-gull,  then  to  that  of  a  swallow,  —  a  moment 
16 


362  EL  FUREIDIS. 

more  and  the  creature  was  but  a  speck  against  the  horizon, 
—  a  breath,  a  fluttering  of  the  eyelid,  and  the  Khadhere 
and  her  master  had  vanished  in  the  boundless  void. 

The  eyes  that  had  followed  them  now  rested  on  vacancy ; 
the  pair  of  watchers  stood  alone  on  the  desert  waste,  which 
seemed  like  an  inverted  world,  whence  all  things  save  them 
selves  were  swept  clean  away.  "  Havilah ! "  was  the  first 
word  that  broke  the  deep  silence. 

The  voice  vibrated  through  all  space.  Earth,  sky,  and 
air  seemed  to  have  spoken  her  name.  She  listened  as  one 
listens  to  a  far-off  sound,  kept  her  eye  fixed  on  the  distant 
horizon,  trembled,  but  made  no  answer. 

There  was  a  long  pause.  Then  the  voice  was  heard 
again,  solemnly  as  before  :  "  Havilah,  is  yonder  boy  mad, 
or  did  he  speak  the  truth  ?  " 

Again  it  was  as  if  the  great  voice  of  Nature  spoke,  de 
manding  a  reply,  and  Havilah  answered  slowly  and  with 
reverence,  as  if  testifying  to  Heaven,  "  He  spoke  truth." 

"  And  you  love  me,  Havilah  ?  " 

This  tune  the  voice  was  low  and  tremulous,  a  whisper 
from  the  human  heart  that  was  beating  close  beside  her. 
She  turned  as  suddenly  as  if  now  she  first  realized  the  pres 
ence  of  Meredith,  dropped  Abdoul's  dagger  from  one  hand, 
drew  the  other  from  the  Englishman's  grasp,  clasped  both 
together,  and,  looking  up  in  his  face  as  trustingly  as  if  it 
had  been  the  face  of  an  angel,  exclaimed,  "  I  do ! " 

She  was  not  prepared  for  the  effect  of  her  abrupt  con 
fession.  He  staggered  back  as  if  he  had  received  a  blow, 
bowed  his  head  upon  his  hands,  and  his  broad  chest  heaved 
spasmodically.  Had  he  been  so  ignorant,  so  blinded,  so  in 
credulous  to  the  last,  that  the  truth  should  rush  upon  him 
now  with  such  stunning  power  ?  Was  it  possible  that  this 
strong,  self-sustained  man,  who  had  so  far  as  she  knew 


EL  FUEEIDIS.  363 

borne  misfortune,  loss,  and  despair  with  unshaken  fortitude, 
could  be  unmanned  by  a  word  and  a  look  ? 

Havilah  was  frightened.  She  had  seen  her  excitable 
Arab  lover  maddened  by  despair ;  that  was  natural.  She 
could  understand  while  she  pitied  the  boy.  But  she  had  not 
yet  sounded  the  depths  of  this  great  Anglo-Saxon  heart. 
She  had  not  yet  learned  that  they  who  can  suffer  longest 
and  best  have  within  them  the  well-springs  of  intensest  joy,- 
— a  joy  the  first  outgushing  of  which  can  shake  to  its 
foundations  the  frame  that  has  withstood  a  hurricane  of 
sorrows. 

She  was  awed,  but  her  awe  was  innocent  and  childlike, 
and  acted  itself  out  accordingly.  She  came  close  to  him, 
laid  her  hand  soothingly  on  his  arm,  stood  still  a  moment, 
then  gently  strove  to  uncover  his  face,  that  she  might  read 
the  secret  of  his  agitation  in  his  eyes. 

Her  touch  calmed  him,  or  rather  it  concentrated  his  fever 
of  excitement,  which  ceased  to  evince  itself  outwardly, 
though  the  fire  burned  within.  Lifting  his  head,  and  stand 
ing  erect  in  his  imposing  height,  he  caught  both  her  hands 
in  his ;  but  by  the  power  of  a  determined  will  he  held  her  at 
arm's  length  while  he  warned  her  thus :  "  Havilah,  think 
well !  you  know  not  what  you  say,  —  you  know  not  the 
value  of  the  gift  you  bestow.  Recall  it  before  it  is  too  late." 

"  But  I  love  you,"  she  murmured  in  an  apologetic  tone. 

"  Beware,  lest  I  take  advantage  of  your  words  ! "  he  ex 
claimed,  with  the  forced  sternness  of  an  advocate  striving 
against  himself.  "I  am  a  repentant  and  a  humbled  man. 
Do  not  challenge  my  presumption  and  pride.  They  sleep 
now,  but  they  may  wake  again.  I  see  myself  as  I  am,  a 
beggar  in  all  that  could  give  me  a  claim  to  your  love  ;  but 
tempt  me  not,  Havilah.  The  starving  will  sometimes  steal. 
What  wonder  then  if  they  snatch  the  treasure  thrown  in  their 


364 


EL  FUREIDIS. 


path.  Take  it  back  then,  dear  child ;  retract  your  thought 
less  words  while  yet  you  may." 

"  I  cannot  retract,"  said  Havilah,  with  an  ineffable  smile, 
"  for  I  love  you." 

"  You  pity,  you  would  befriend,  but  you  do  not  love  me, 
Havilah,"  persisted  Meredith,  still  pleading  valiantly,  as  he 
believed  in  her  behalf,  but  drawing  her  nearer  to  him  as  he 
spoke.  "  Blessed  girl !  you  have  walked  in  the  light  from 
your  childhood.  I  have  but  just  shaken  the  dust  from  my 
eyes  and  fought  my  way  out  of  darkness.  What  am  I,  that 
I  should  dream  of  mating  with  a  star  ?  " 

"  Does  God's  sunlight  shine  less  brightly  on  the  flower  just 
bursting  from  the  sod,  than  on  the  aloe  of  a  hundred  years' 
growth  ?  Does  he  not  shed  instant  glory  on  the  head  of 
every  child  who  seeks  his  face  ?  "  asked  Havilah,  looking  up 
at  Meredith  as  if  she  saw  the  reflection  of  God's  love  in  him. 

Her  countenance,  on  which  the  moonlight  shone  full,  was 
so  radiantly  beautiful,  so  sweetly  confiding,  that  Meredith 
could  scarcely  resist  the  temptation  to  snatch  her  to  his 
heart  and  call  her  his,  as  she  had  almost  challenged  him 
to  do.  But  perhaps  the  very  perfection  of  her  loveliness 
was  a  reproach  to  him  in  his  utter  self-abasement,  for  with 
iron  firmness  he  still  held  her  aloof  while  he  said :  "  Havi 
lah,  my  beautiful  one !  my  morning  star !  I  have  wor 
shipped  you  as  a  saint,  —  shall  I  dare  claim  you  as  a  wife  ? 
Men  call  me  cold,  Havilah,"  —  his  heart  while  he  spoke 
was  a  burning  volcano;  —  "reserved,  I  know  I  am,"  — 
the  deep  places  of  his  nature  even  now  were  breaking  up. 
"  I  have  come  from  the  land  of  clouds  and  fog.  I  am  the 

O 

son  of  a  rugged  race.  You  are  all  warmth  and  blossom ; 
you  have  been  reared  in  a  summer  clime ;  I  tremble  lest  I 
might  cast  a  chill  over  your  young  life,  or  shadow  it  with  a 
cloud.  Precious  child,  are  you  not  afraid  ?  " 


EL  FUREIDIS.  365 

It  was  well  she  was  not  afraid,  for  her  chance  of  escape 
was  well-nigh  gone.  He  had  wreathed  his  arms  tightly 
around  her.  She  was  already  netted  in  his  embrace. 

"  You  have  been  to  me  as  the  shadow  of  a  great  rock  in 
a  weary  land,"  she  said.  "  I  ask  no  other  rest  or  shelter," 
—  and  she  suffered  her  head  to  drop  upon  his  shoulder. 

He  pressed  her  convulsively  to  him  for  an  instant,  ex 
claiming,  "  O,  what  have  I  done  to  be  so  blest  above  other 
men  ?  or  rather,"  he  added,  as  abruptly  releasing  her,  "  is  it 
not  a  sin  for  me,  who  have  left  so  much  undone,  to  reap  a 
reward  so  far  beyond  my  deserts  ?  " 

"  They  deserve  most  who  claim  least,"  said  Havilah. 
"  Your  cup,  then,  should  be  full.  If  I  had  more  to  offer, 
it  should  be  yours ;  but  I  gave  you  long  ago  all  I  had  to 
give,  —  my  heart." 

Her  head  drooped  upon  her  bosom  as  she  spoke.  Not 
until  she  had  thus  filled  up  the  measure  of  her  self-surrender 
did  she  startle  at  her  own  temerity ;  but  now  she  cast  down 
her  eyes,  and  trembled  like  a  timid  dove. 

"  Havilah ! "  cried  Meredith,  in  the  desperate  tone  of  one 
whose  long-controlled  emotions  are  just  breaking  from  their 
last  anchor,  "  look  at  me  ! "  —  and  taking  her  head  between 
his  hands,  he  lifted  her  blushing  face  to  his,  and  gazed  into 
her  brimming  eyes.  "Tell  me,  shall  a  man  dare  accept 
that  at  the  hand  of  Heaven  which  he  has  not  dared  ask  for 
even  in  his  prayer?" 

"  Love  is  a  free  gift,"  said  Havilah.  "  Take  it  or  not, 
it  is  love  still.  O  take  it,  or  let  me  go  ! "  —  and,  looking 
wildly  around  her,  she  struggled  to  escape  her  bonds. 

"  Let  you  go,  my  darling  ?  Never ! "  exclaimed  Mere 
dith.  "  If  I  have  resisted  the  gift,  it  was  only  to  make 
it  truly  mine,  —  my  joy,  my  life,  my  paradise  !  " 

He  had  already  clasped  her  to  his  breast.     As  he  bent 


366  EL  FUREIDIS. 

over  her  she  twined  her  arms  about  his  neck ;  and,  as  he 
snatched  her  to  the  height  of  his  embrace,  she  fancied  her 
self  lifted  from  off  the  earth  and  enthroned  in  some  upper 
realm  of  joy ;  and  he,  as  if  he  had  clasped  a  seraph,  felt 
his  whole  being  etherealized.  His  old  world  lay  around 
him  a  desert ;  his  new  world  was  in  his  arms. 

They  were  alone  in  endless  space  ;  but  they  had  no 
sense  of  isolation.  The  past  was  but  the  path  which  had 
led  them  hither ;  the  future,  like  the  expanse  amid  which 
they  stood,  was  boundless.  The  silence  was  the  voiceless 
harmony  of  a  great  joy.  It  was  as  if  both  had  encountered 
in  the  wilderness  the  angel  of  their  earthly  heaven ;  had 
held  a  trembling  parley  at  the  gate,  then  together  had  en 
tered  in. 

Intense  rapture  is  a  pain.  Havilah's  found  vent  in  a 
flood  of  tears  ;  but  long  after  these  were  dry,  she  could  not 
only  feel,  but  in  the  deep  silence  she  could  hear,  Meredith's 
heart  throbbing  against  hers  like  a  heavy  drum :  "  Hush, 
hush ! "  she  whispered  softly  to  the  beating  heart. 

"  Do  not  hush  it,"  he  said.  "It  has  been  stifled  long 
enough ;  let  it  beat  on  now.  Such  joy  as  mine  has  heart 
throbs,  but  no  words." 

He  was  the  first,  however,  to  break  the  silence  that  suc 
ceeded.  "  Whence  came  this  happiness  ?  "  was  the  question 
of  a  heart  unused  to  anything  but  pain ;  and  the  query 
found  vent  in  the  whisper,  "  How  long  have  you  loved  me  ?  " 

"  When  your  soul  went  forth  to  meet  the  Infinite,  mine 
went  forth  to  meet  you,"  said  Havilah.  "  The  spirit  that 
moved  the  one  wrought  upon  the  other.  Ever  since  you 
caught  the  illumination  of  Heaven,  I  have  yearned  to  bask 
in  your  light." 

"  My  light  is  but  a  faint  glimmer,  Havilah.  You  must 
lead  me  into  the  perfect  day." 


EL  FUKEIDIS.  367 

"  The  oak  plants  its  root  deep  in  the  forest-shade,"  said 
Havilah,  "  but  the  clinging  vine  that  twines  round  its  stem 
has  faith  that  thus  it  shall  creep  upward  to  the  light:  so 
only  can  the  feeble  climb." 

"  We  will  climb  together,  my  blessed  one.  Life's  toil 
will  be  easy  in  such  sweet  company.  And  how  long  will 
you  love  me,  Havilah  ?  " 

"  Lov«  has  nothing  to  do  with  time,"  said  Havilah,  — 
"  love  is  immortal." 

"  0  bless  you  for  that  word !  You  are  mine,  then,  as  I  am 
yours,  for  all  eternity.  The  time  has  been  when  I  would 
have  been  satisfied  with  less,  when  my  heart  would  have 
leaped  to  hear  you  say,  'I  love  you  this  day,  this  hour.' 
But  then  I  loved  as  men  love,  who  die ;  not,  as  now,  with 
the  love  of  souls,  which  live  forever." 

"  It  is  morning,  my  love,"  whispered  Havilah ;  "  see  the 
rosy  light  streaks  the  east." 

"  It  is  morning  indeed,"  responded  Meredith,  a  sunlight 
glow  lighting  up  his  beatified  features, —  "morning  in  the 
desert,  and  you,  Havilah,  are  the  dawn.  My  heart  was  a 
great  deep,  and  darkness  was  on  the  face  of  it,  but  your 
voice  has  broken  up  the  void ;  life  was  a  desert  waste,  but  a 
morning  star  has  arisen  to  cheer  the  traveller  on  his  way." 

"  We  have  groped  through  a  night  of  darkness  and  doubt 
to  find  each  other  at  last,"  said  Havilah,  "  but  with  both  of 
us  it  is  daylight  now." 

"  To  Him  who  first  said,  '  Let  there  be  light,  and  there 
was  light,'  —  to  Him  be  the  praise  and  the  glory,"  said 
Meredith. 

And  Havilah  said,  "  Amen ! " 


368 


EL  FUBEIDIS. 


CHAPTER     XXX. 

ABDOUL  returned  no  more  to  the  encampment.  The  boy 
had  forfeited  his  own  honor,  but  they  whom  he  had  wronged 
were  true,  and  no  hint  of  his  midnight  treachery  and  assault 
ever  fell  from  the  lips  of  Meredith  or  Havilah.  The  chiv 
alrous  old  sheik,  however,  was  sufficiently  mortified  at  the 
escapade  of  the  previous  evening,  and  his  son's  non-appear 
ance  ;  and  when  his  guests,  in  accordance  with  their  previous 
intention,  urged  an  early  departure,  he  could  only  press  his 
hand  on  his  heart,  and  with  a  dejected  air  profess  himself 
their  grateful  and  already  too  much  honored  servant.  Even 
to  the  last  moment  his  spirits  continued  sadly  depressed ; 
the  kind  and  cordial  farewell  of  his  new  friends,  so  far  from 
soothing,  served  only  to  aggravate  his  shame  as  a  father, 
and  his  sensitiveness  as  a  host ;  and  when  the  caravan 
finally  rode  off,  escorted  by  Mahmoud,  his  brother's  son, 
Zanadeen  blessed  them  with  uplifted  hands,  and  eyes  that 
were  streaming  with  tears. 

A  day  on  the  desert,  a  night  passed  in  the  dwelling  of  the 
Governor  of  Jerud,  a  second  day's  diligent  journeying  under 
the  protection  of  a  fresh  escort,  furnished  by  the  Aga,  and 
our  travellers  reached  Baalbec. 

No  striking  adventure  marked  or  interrupted  their  pro 
gress.  To  the  lovers  only  was  the  journey  memorable. 
But  they,  alone  with  their  secret  joy,  travelling  on,  amid 
unbroken  silence,  under  the  great  "  eye  of  Heaven,"  could 


EL  FUREIDIS.  369 

revel  in  one  glad  thought,  could  indulge  at  will  in  one  sweet 
absorption.  Rare  privilege,  in  this  world  of  ours,  where 
events  trample  upon  each  other  in  quick  succession,  and 
busy  life  is  forever  at  war  with  meditation ! 

The  illimitable  desert,  so  vast,  so  unobtrusive,  and  so  still, 
was  symbolic  of  that  one,  all-embracing  idea,  which  filled 
the  souls  of  Meredith  and  Havilah.  The  world  seemed  to 
have  stepped  aside,  only  Heaven  looked  smiling  on,  while 
her  happy  children  basked  in  the  sunshine. 

Sweet,  unbroken,  and  exultant  was  the  calm  of  those 
desert  days.  Grand,  heroic,  and  full  of  noble  purpose  were 
the  days  that  succeeded.  Baalbec,  with  its  giant  record  of 
the  past,  broke  up  the  pensive  charm  in  which  the  great 
solitude  had  wrapped  the  heart;  but  the  outward  and  the 
real  were  not  less  welcome,  because  the  inward  and  the 
ideal  had  had  their  day.  Standing  on  the  massive  temple 
platform,  beneath  the  shadow  of  the  six  colossal  pillars, 
Havilah  and  Meredith  first  pledged  themselves  to  each  other 
for  the  great  work  of  life.  In  the  midst  of  those  magnifi 
cent  ruins,  which  indicate  at  once  man's  power  and  insig 
nificance,  they  joined  hands  in  the  cause  of  humanity  and 
the  active  service  of  God,  and,  with  the  inspiration  and 
energy  of  united  hearts,  resolved  that  whatsoever  their 
hands  might  find  to  do,  they  would  do  it  with  their  might. 

Great  structures,  whether  triumphing  in  perfection  or 
reflecting  fallen  glory,  fire  the  imagination  and  stir  the  soul 
to  generous  deeds.  But  a  holier  place  than  ancient  Baalbec 
sanctified  and  set  the  seal  to  the  resolutions  enkindled  within 
sight  of  the  Temple  of  the  Sun. 

Beneath  the  ancient  cedars  of  Lebanon,  primeval  mon- 

archs  of  the  primeval  world,  contemporaries  of  patriarchs 

and  prophets,  in  that  holiest  of  nature's  temples,  to  which 

pilgrims  of  all  nations  come  yearly  to  hold  communion  with 

16*  x 


370 


EL  FUBEIDIS. 


Him  whose  glory  it  shadows  forth,  the  two  hearts  made  one 
in  love,  poured  those  hearts  out  in  worship,  dedicated  their 
love  to  the  Source  of  all  love,  and  felt  their  life  hid  with 
Christ  in  God. 

Here,  too,  they  made  others  sharers  in  their  joy.  Here, 
in  the  presence  of  those  grand  old  witnesses  which  testify 
to  the  truths  of  all  ages,  Havilah  made  a  blushing  recanta 
tion  of  the  resolve  which  nearly  a  year  ago  had  disap 
pointed  the  dearest  hopes  of  her  father.  M.  Trefoil,  bh'nd 
and  obtuse  to  the  last,  was  thunderstruck,  incredulous,  over 
whelmed  ;  and  when  the  light  which  shone  in  the  eyes  of 
his  daughter  and  Meredith,  and  the  touch  of  their  hands 
mutually  clasping  his,  convinced  him  of  the  truth  which 
otherwise  he  could  not  have  believed,  his  agitation  and 
bewilderment  were  such,  that  Havilah  trembled  lest  the 
mind  which  a  shock  of  sorrow  had  enfeebled  should  be 
once  more  paralyzed  by  a  sudden  influx  of  joy.  But  her 
fears  were  groundless.  Such  natures  as  M.  Trefoil's  assim 
ilate  with  happiness  and  assume  prosperity  as  easily  as  a 
well-fitting  garment.  He  soon  smiled  with  calm  compla 
cency  upon  the  new  state  of  affairs,  familiarized  himself  by 
a  sort  of  native  instinct  with  the  turn  events  had  taken,  and 
though  the  startling  character  of  the  communication  im 
pressed  him  seriously  for  the  time,  the  good  man  would 
have  his  joke,  and  often  maintained,  in  after  years,  rubbing 
his  hands  complacently  together,  that  his  simple  daughter 
thought  she  had  outwitted  her  old  father,  but  that  his  pene 
tration  had  never  once  been  in  fault,  —  his  mountain-girl 
understood  coquetry  as  well  as  any  city  belle,  —  her  indif 
ference  to  that  good  fellow  Meredith  was  a  girl's  affectation, 
and  he  (M.  Trefoil)  had  suspected  it  all  the  while. 

M.  Lapierre  made  no  boast  of  superior  discernment,  but 
his  insight  into  human  nature  was  as  keen  as  it  was  silent 


EL  FUREIDIS.  371 

and  unobtrusive.  He  was  far  from  being  surprised  when 
Meredith  and  Havilah  came  to  crave  his  paternal  bless 
ing,  and  the  serenity  of  his  approving  smile  witnessed  to 
them  both  how  truly  he  had  read  and  interpreted  their 
hearts. 

His  benediction  was  in  keeping  with  the  time  and  the 
scene.  He  laid  a  hand  benignantly  on  the  head  of  each, 
while  he  said,  "  He  is  a  worthy  mate  for  you,  my  daughter. 
He  has  been  tried  in  the  furnace  of  affliction,  and  has  come 
forth  pure  gold.  Trust  him  with  your  whole  heart,  repose 
undoubtingly  in  the  rest  of  his  love,  for  '  he  dwelleth  in  the 
secret  place  of  the  Most  High,  he  shall  abide  in  the  shadow 
of  'the  Almighty.' " 

Havilah  turned  her  eyes  confidingly  upon  her  lover,  and 
the  look  was  an  answer. 

"  Be  to  her,  my  son,  like  the  cedar  of  Lebanon  to  the 
dove  that  hath  built  her  nest  in  its  shade.  Uphold  her, 
protect  her,  shelter  her  from  the  storms  of  life." 

And  as  the  young  man  answered,  "I  will,"  his  voice 
was  deep  like  the  wind  among  the  branches,  and  solemn  as 
a  response  at  the  altar. 

There  had  been  joy  in  El  Fureidis.  The  voices  of  the 
people  had  gone  up  in  gladness  and  thanksgiving,  —  the 
valleys  had  rung  with  the  nuptial  shout  and  song,  the  moun 
tains  had  echoed  the  peal,  and  the  marriage-bells  had  made 
music  along  the  heights  of  Lebanon.  The  old  friars  had 
descended  once  more  from  their  convent,  bearing  simple 
offerings  in  their  hands,  and  fervent  benedictions  on'  their 
lips.  Mustapha  had  come,  laden  with  rich  gifts,  from  Da 
mascus.  Maysunah  had  woven  the  bridal  chaplet,  and  ac 
companied  the  bride  to  the  altar,  and  the  same  day  which 
saw  Meredith  and  Havilah  united  in  holy  wedlock  had  wit- 


372  EL  FUREIDIS. 

nessed  the  baptism  of  the  Turk  and  his  daughter  at  the 
Christian  font. 

There  had  been  sorrow  in  El  Fureidls.  There  had  been 
partings  and  farewells.  Lingering  looks  had  been  ex 
changed,  and  last  words  spoken.  The  Damascene  and  his 
daughter  had  turned  their  steps  towards  the  rising  sun, 
while  their  friends  had  travelled  westward.  The  simple 
villagers  had  followed  the  wedding-train  for  miles  over 
mountain  and  through  valley,  proud  of  their  English  bene 
factor,  proud  that  El  Fureidis  had  so  amply  repaid  him  for 
his  bounty,  but  vainly  striving  to  repress  the  tears  which 
streamed  down  their  bronzed  cheeks  as  they  watched  him 
depart,  bearing  away  with  him  their  Lebanon  Rose. 

But  as  in  the  villagers'  joy  at  the  marriage  there  had 
been  a  foretaste  of  their  pain  in  this  farewell,  so  their  pres 
ent  sorrow  was  not  without  its  promise  of  future  joy.  As 
they  turned  their  steps  homeward,  they  could  solace  their 
hearts  with  the  thought  that  El  Fureidis  would  still  be  the 
frequent  summer  home  of  Meredith  and  Havilah ;  that  M. 
Trefoil,  who  was  to  accompany  his  daughter  to  England, 
would  return  in  the  following  spring ;  that  the  villa  would 
then  be  repaired,  the  silk  factory  arise  from  its  ruins,  and 
that  meanwhile  the  liberality  of  the  Englishman  had  in 
sured  themselves  and  their  families  from  want. 

It  was  a  summer  morning  in  Syria.  The  white  walls  of 
Beyrout,  standing  out  from  their  background  of  gardens 
and  groves,  seemed  to  concentrate  the  sunlight,  and  reflect 
its  heat  with  redoubled  power.  The  early  hours  of  the  day 
were  past,  the  hum  of  city  activity  had  subsided;  idlers 
had  retreated  to  the  shelter  of  their  roofs  and  gardens,  and 
only  the  laborious  portion  of  the  population  exposed  them 
selves  to  the  scorching  sun.  There  was  no  breeze  in  the 


EL  FUREIDIS.  373 

bay.  The  vessels  which  lay  at  anchor  there  were  wrapped 
in  soft  yellow  light,  and  sleeping  motionless  on  the  tide. 
All  things  wore  an  attitude  of  rest  and  tranquil  expectancy. 

Conspicuous  among  the  shipping  in  the  harbor  was  a 
little  English  brig,  whose  sharply-cut  prow,  fresh  paint,  and 
neat  rigging,  as  well  as  her  determined  position  at  the  point 
where  she  was  certain  to  catch  the  first  breeze,  placed  her 
in  strong  contrast  with  the  lazy  feluccas  and  slovenly  Greek 
craft  moored  in  her  vicinity.  The  captain,  a  stout-built, 
compact  British  seaman,  was  giving  his  final  orders,  the 
neatly-dressed  crew  were  bestowing  the  last  professional 
touch  upon  the  vessel's  gear,  or  were  standing  ready  to  let 
out  sail  at  the  slightest  provocation.  In  the  cabin  a  group 
of  hearty  friends  were  assembled  round  M.  Trefoil.  With 
a  glass  of  vino  d'oro  in  his  hand,  and  his  ruddy  face  glow 
ing  with  pleasure,  the  honest  manufacturer  was  responding 
to  the  healths  and  good  wishes  proffered  him  by  half  a 
score  of  native  consuls,  foreign  residents,  Armenian  bank 
ers,  and  jovial  Greek  merchants.  These  men  had  been 
M.  Trefoil's  Syrian  contemporaries  for  many  years.  They 
had  flocked  now,  in  the  warmth  of  their  hearts,  to  bid  him 
an  affectionate  farewell  previous  to  the  several  months'  ab 
sence  which  he  meditated ;  and  as  he  grasped  their  sym 
pathetic  hands,  and  received  their  cordial  congratulations 
upon  the  marriage  of  his  daughter,  it  was  easy  to  see  that 
the  old  man's  satisfaction  and  pride  had  reached  their 
climax. 

Seated  amidships,  M.  Lapierre  and  Meredith  were  also 
engaged  in  earnest  conversation ;  but  their  final  dialogue 
was  of  a  more  serious  character  than  that  of  M.  Trefoil 
and  his  convivial  friends. 

The  missionary  had  accompanied  the  western-bound  trav 
ellers  to  the  sea-board ;  but  the  period  of  their  setting  sail 


374  EL  FUREIDIS. 

was  to  be  the  signal  of  his  return  to  El  Fureidis,  where,  in 
addition  to  his  pastoral  duties,  the  secular  interests  of  the 
little  community  were,  for  the  present,  delegated  to  his 
charge.  The  best  means  for  securing  the  welfare  of  the 
peasantry  had  already  been  concerted  between  him  and 
Meredith ;  but  there  were  last  counsels  to  be  interchanged, 
last  assurances  on  the  part  of  M.  Lapierre  that  ample  pro 
vision  had  been  made  for  his  flock,  last  promises  on  the  part 
of  Meredith  to  furnish  aid  in  any  extremity.  There  was 
paternal  advice,  also,  to  be  bestowed,  and  filial  gratitude  to 
be  expressed ;  and  in  the  affectionate  tenderness  of  the  old 
man's  manner,  and  the  responsive  glow  on  the  young  man's 
face,  the  emotions  of  a  year  seemed  concentrated  into  one 
parting  moment. 

Havilah  sat  alone  upon  the  upper  deck,  where  she  was 
protected  from  the  sun  by  a  canvas  awning.  Here,  a  few 
moments  before,  she  had  held  her  little  court,  and  responded 
cordially  to  the  kind  wishes  of  her  father's  friends.  But 
the  latter  had  gone  simultaneously  to  drink  a  health  below  ; 
M.  Lapierre  and  Meredith  had  previously  withdrawn  for 
an  uninterrupted  conference,  and  Havilah,  left  to  her  own 
thoughts,  had  suffered  her  eyes  and  her  mind  to  stray  in  the 
direction  of  her  mountain-home. 

She  was  roused  from  her  reverie  by  a  slight  plashing  of 
the  water  beneath  the  stern  of  the  brig.  The  next  instant 
a  thin,  tawny  hand  clasped  the  rail  close  beside  her,  —  a 
bound,  a  noiseless  flutter  of  drapery,  and  a  lithe  figure  had 
flung  itself  over  the  vessel's  side,  and  knelt  motionless  as  a 
stone  at  her  feet.  She  sprung  up,  drew  a  quick  breath,  and 
looked  around  her  like  a  startled  fawn  seeking  the  means  of 

O 

escape  ;  then,  observing  the  still,  submissive  attitude  of  her 
muffled  visitor,  she  hesitated,  scrutinized  him  an  instant,  and 
said,  with  timorous,  questioning  accent,  "  Abdoul  ?  " 


EL  FUREIDIS.  375 

"  Peace  be  with  thee,  lady,  and  fear  me  not,"  said  Ab 
doul,  slowly  uncovering  his  face,  and  fixing  his  eyes  upon 
her  with  mournful  gravity. 

She  was  awed  by  the  solemnity  of  his  address,  and  still 
more  by  the  rigid  and  melancholy  composure  of  his  features. 
She  stood  attentive,  and  he  continued :  "  When  thon  sawest 
me  last,  I  fled  from  thee  with  a  fire  in  my  heart ;  but  the 
maddening  flame  of  doubt  has  since  been  quenched  in  the 
cold  waters  of  certainty.  Thou  callest  the  Englishman 
lord?" 

"  He  is  my  husband,"  said  Havilah.  , 

"Allah  has  willed  it  so,  and  it  is  well,"  responded  the 
youth,  with  a  tone  of  one  sternly  submitting  himself  to  fate. 
"  I  have  attained  to  one  of  '  the  two  comforts.'  Suspense  is 
a  torturing  wound  to  the  Arab,  but  if  he  be  denied  success, 
he  knows  how  to  endure  despair.  I  have  only  now  to  crave 
pardon  for  the  past,  and  in  view  of  the  future  to  bid  thee  a 
final  farewell." 

"  Thy  pardon  followed  quick  upon  thine  offence,"  said 
Havilah,  "  and  in  years  to  come,  my  brother,  if  it  please 
Heaven,  we  shall  meet  again." 

"  Thy  forgiveness  is  a  balm  to  my  soul,"  said  Abdoul, 
making  a  profound  salutation ;  "  but,  lady,  we  meet  no  more. 
'  The  Lord  goeth  between  a  man  and  his  heart.'  The  Faith 
ful  One  will  not  make  his  servant  to  bear  what  he  has  not 
strength  to  bear.  The  earth  is  spacious,  our  paths  lie  apart, 
and  I  may  not  look  upon  thy  face  again." 

"  Be  it  so,"  answered  Havilah,  "  and  I  say  not  but  thou 
art  wise.  I  shall  still  cherish  thy  memory,  and  pray  for 
thee,  my  brother." 

"  Thou  art  clothed  with  piety,  and  therefore  thy  prayers 
will  reach  the  throne,"  said  Abdoul.  "  I  am  an  unworthy 
servant  of  the  Prophet,  but  I  will  remember  thee  in  the 


376 


EL  FUREIDIS. 


morning  sacrifice ;  for  it  is  written  in  the  sacred  book,  that 
'  the  prayer  of  daybreak  is  borne  witness  unto  by  the  an- 

gels/" 

He  here  made  a  sudden  movement,  as  if  about  to  rise 
and  depart ;  but  Havilah  checked  him  by  a  motion  of  her 
hand,  and  he  continued  resting  on  one  knee  while  she  said, 
"  Stay  yet  a  moment,  Abdoul ;  thou  must  not  leave  me 
until  I  have  spoken  one  more  parting  word,  and  restored 
to  thee  that  which  is  thine." 

As  she  spoke,  she  took  from  a  heap  of  shawls  and  light 
luggage  which  lay  beside  her  a  roll  of  silken  tissue,  and, 
commencing  at  one  end,  slowly  unwound  a  rich  and  bril 
liantly  dyed  scarf,  disclosing  as  she  did  so,  first  the  jewelled 
hilt,  and  gradually  the  shining  blade,  of  Abdoul's  dagger. 

The  boy's  features,  inflexible  until  now,  twitched  with 
nervous  agitation,  and  an  eager  light  gleamed  in  his  eye, 
as  he  caught  sight  of  the  weapon ;  but  a  subdued  and  mor 
tified  expression  stole  over  his  features  as  he  met  the 
glance  of  Havilah,  and  h'stened  while  she  said  :  "  This  muf 
fled  roll  was  to  have  been  my  last  charge  to  the  good 
father,  and  with  it  a  message  for  thee.  But  thou  art  here 
to  receive  both  for  thyself,  which  is  far  better.  Take  back 
thy  dagger,  Abdoul,  and  let  it  be  the  seal  of  forgiveness 
and  friendship  between  me  and  thee.  Use  it  as  becomes 
a  servant  of  God  and  a  chieftain's  son.  Defend  the  weak, 
maintain  the  truth,  protect  the  stranger.  So  shalt  thou  be 
armed  with  self-respect,  and  merit  the  blessing  and  thanks 
of  Havilah." 

Abdoul  bowed  low  in  acknowledgment  of  the  offering 
held  out  to  him,  received  the  dagger,  which  he  hid  hastily 
in  his  bosom,  and  said  solemnly,  with  his  hand  pressed  upon 
his  heart :  "  By  the  morning  when  it  appeareth,  by  the  red 
ness  of  the  sky  after  sunset,  by  the  night,  and  by  the  moon 


EL  FUBEIDIS.  377 

•when  she  is  at  the  full,  I  swear  to  do  thy  bidding.  "When 
the  sun  shall  be  folded  up,  and  Avhen  the  stars  shall  fall,  and 
when  the  seas  shall  be  suffered  to  join  their  waters,  and 
when  the  mountains  shall  be  made  to  pass  away,  and  when 
the  books  shall  be  laid  open,  and  when  paradise  shall  be 
brought  near,  every  soul  shall  know  what  it  hath  wrought. 
See,  then,  if  Abdoul  hath  been  faithful." 

"  I  will  trust  and  believe  thee,  Abdoul,"  said  Havilah. 

"  Bless  thee,  lady,"  said  the  youth,  "  and  farewell.  May 
Heaven's  breezes  give  thee  good  voyage,  and  thy  new  home 
be  as  fresh  soil  to  the  transplanted  flower.  Salute  thy  lord 
for  me,  with  a  respectful  salutation.  Heaven  grant  him 
long  life,  and  give  thee  many  years'  rest  in  his  love ;  and 
if  the  staff  of  his  strength  shall  fail  thee,  may  '  Allah  shadow 
thee  with  his  shadow  in  that  day  when  there  shall  be  no 
shade  but  his  shadow.' " 

As  he  finished  speaking,  he  bent  his  head  to  the  floor, 
and  without  presuming  to  take  Havilah's  outstretched  hand, 
or  even  to  touch  the  hem  of  her  robes,  he  pressed  his  lips 
reverentially  upon  that  spot  of  the  deck  on  which  she  had 
stood  an  instant  before,  then  with  lightning-like  velocity 
swung  himself  over  the  side  of  the  vessel,  and  disappeared. 

The  sudden  plash  in  the  water  occasioned  by  his  leap 
excited  a  vague  fear  in  Havilah,  who,  forgetting  that  he 
had  departed  precisely  as  he  came,  uttered  a  quick  excla 
mation  of  alarm,  which  brought  Meredith  at  once  to  her 
side.  As  he  joined  her  with  an  anxious  inquiry,  and  be 
fore  she  had  time  to  reply,  her  apprehensions  were  set  at 
rest  by  the  sight  of  a  little  skiff,  which  had  started  out  from 
beneath  the  stern  of  the  vessel,  and  which,  rowed  by  two 
skilful  oarsmen,  was  already  making  for  a  neighboring 
promontory. 

"  Look  there,"  she  exclaimed,  pointing  to  a  figure  crouched 


378 


EL  FUREIDIS. 


in  the  bottom  of  the  boat,  —  "  it  is  Abdoul.  He  has  come 
and  gone  like  the  vision  of  a  dream,  but  it  is  well.  He  has 
blessed  me,  and  we  have  parted  in  peace." 

"  Poor  fellow ! "  soliloquized  Meredith,  in  a  tone  of  tender 
sympathy ;  and  as  they  watched  the  boat  sweep  round  the 
curve  of  the  little  promontory,  Havilah  wiped  away  a  tear. 

At  the  same  moment  their  cheeks  were  favored  by  a  fresh 
breeze  from  Lebanon.  Immediately  there  was  a  stir  on 
board  the  vessel.  The  master  eagerly  issued  his  orders, 
the  anchor  was  raised,  sails  hoisted,  and  preparations  made 
to  take  advantage  of  the  favorable  wind  which  had  already 
begun  to  ripple  the  surface  of  the  bay.  M.  Trefoil's 
friends  embarked  hastily  on  board  the  boat,  which  waited 
to  take  them  on  shore.  M.  Lapierre,  prompt  as  the  youngest 
among  them,  made  his  last  blessing  as  concise  as  it  was  fer 
vent,  with  a  firm  step  passed  over  the  vessel's  side,  and,  his 
head  uncovered  and  his  white  hair  streaming  in  the  breeze, 
took  the  place  reserved  for  him  in  the  midst  of  the  friendly 
throng.  A  moment  more,  and  amid  the  waving  of  hands, 
and  reiterated  farewells,  and  prayers  of  "  God  speed  !  "  the 
vessel  had  put  out  to  sea. 

She  flew  over  the  waters  like  a  bird.  To  the  friendly 
eyes  which  watched  her  from  the  shore,  her  white  sails 
soon  dipped  into  the  dim  horizon,  and  long  ere  the  sun  went 
down  she  was  out  of  sight  on  the  blue  Mediterranean ;  but, 
standing  beside  each  other  on  the  deck,  Meredith  and  Ha 
vilah  still  cast  lingering  looks  behind  them.  The  white 
walls  of  Beyrout  had  disappeared  from  their  eyes,  the 
green  gardens  were  no  longer  discernible  against  their 
mountain  background,  the  bays  and  promontories  of  the 
Syrian  coast  had  merged  into  a  line  of  dull  uniformity; 
day  was  waning,  and  the  sun  was  declining  towards  the  west, 
but  its  light  still  shone  on  sacred  Lebanon. 


EL  FUREIDIS.  379 

Thus  hope  led  the  voyagers  in  the  way  they  were  going, 
but  memory  cast  a  fond  look  behind. 

"  Land  of  beauty,  land  of  promise,  land  of  the  morning, 
farewell ! "  said  Meredith.  "  Thou  hast  given  me  thy  best 
treasure,  thou  hast  fulfilled  to  me  all  thy  promises,  thou  hast 
kindled  a  day-star  in  my  heart,"  —  and,  as  he  drew  his 
young  wife  closer  to  his  side,  his  face  glowed  with  adoring 
gratitude  to  the  Giver  of  all  good. 

"The  mountains  have  been  my  home,"  said  Havilah; 
"but  I  am  content,  —  my  home  is  here;"  —  and,  leaning 
trustingly  upon  her  husband's  shoulder,  her  soul  kept  com 
pany  with  his  in  its  soaring  flight. 

Thus  the  thoughts  of  both  travelled  upward.  They 
watched  the  purple  light,  as  it  crept  up 'the  hill-tops,  and 
rested  awhile  on  the  crest  of  Lebanon,  and  when  the  light 
had  faded  into  darkness,  and  day  and  night  had  mingled, 
and  the  mountains  had  melted  into  the  sky,  the  hearts  of 
the  watchers  were  uplifted  yet,  for  above  them  still  was 
Heaven  and  its  stars. 


THE    END. 


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BOSTON.  135  WASHINGTON  STREET. 
MAY,  1860. 

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Any  of  the  following  Novels  sold  separate. 

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GUY  MASTERING,  2  vols.  REDGAUNTLET,  2  vols. 

THE  ANTIQUARY,  2  vols.  THE  BETROTHED,  )  9      , 

ROB  ROY,  2  vols.  THE  HIGHLAND  WIDOW,    j  * 

OLD  MORTALITY,  2  vols.  THE  TALISMAN,  } 

BLACK  DWARF,  )  «  _0is  Two  DROVERS, 

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IVANHOE,  2  vols.  WOODSTOCK,  2  vols. 

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THE  PIRATE,  2  vols.  THE  SURGEON'S  DAUGHTER,  ) 

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